Waking Up
by TStabler
Summary: In Vegas, undercover, a staged fight leads to a night of confessions and drunken sex. Will our two favorite detectives be able to handle the consequences of waking up in Vegas? E/O, F/Mel, A/T COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another requested fic, but an idea I've been playing with for a while. I think it's been done before, but not like this! ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"God damn it," Olivia spat, turning to face him as they barreled through the casino. "You just had to go there, didn't you, Stabler?"

"Liv, please, don't do this now, not while we're...'" he stopped. He wasn't going to say "undercover" in the middle of a crowded room. "Liv, you know I'd never say anything to hurt you!" Elliot cried, "Come on, I didn't mean...we were supposed to be fighting and I just...I thought it would be something a couple would fight about!"

"No, El, this was more than just a fight," she said shaking her head. "You used the family thing against me, again. You brought up children, and I'm fucking sick of it, and after seven goddamn years, I'm sick of you!" She walked away from him, wiping her eyes, and sat at the bar. She ordered a whiskey on the rocks just as he sat down beside her.

"You didn't mean that," he said, his voice desperate. "You couldn't have meant that, Liv. Tell me you didn't mean that!"

"Jesus Christ," she said, swigging back her drink. She sighed. "Oh, I meant it, El. I'm so sick of you constantly reminding me that I'm not married, and I'm not a mother, that I have no one, and I'm sick of fucking keeping the reason I'm not either of those things a damn secret because it could cost me my damned job!" She slammed back the rest of her drink and said, "And I'm sick of seeing you, every day, every night, knowing that you have the perfect marriage and the perfect kids and the perfect life..."

"Had," he interrupted. "Liv, you know they're gone. You know they've been gone for weeks."

Olivia looked at him and asked, "Then why are you still wearing your ring?"

"Because in case you forgot, we're on a case, here, Liv. And you're supposed to be my wife right now," he whispered. "The divorce was finalized the day before we got this assignment. Once the show's over the ring's coming off."

Olivia scoffed. "Right, the show. Some happy couple we look like we are, huh?"

Elliot ordered a beer and sighed. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry."

Olivia nodded.

"You don't have 'no one', Liv. You have me. You'll always have me," he told her, brushing her hair back. "So, uh, you wanna tell me the reason, then? Why you're single and not a mommy?" Elliot asked as the bartender gave him his drink.

"Ha!" Olivia chortled. "Neither one of us is drunk enough for that, El."

Elliot chuckled and signaled the bartender to fill up Olivia's glass. "I can wait, Liv."

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "You," she sighed.

"What?" Elliot asked, furrowing his brow and chugging his beer.

"I'm not married, and I don't have kids, because I can't stop comparing the guys I date to you, and they just don't measure up. I find things that they do annoying, because this little voice in my head says, 'Elliot would never do that." And I can't let them get close to me because there's things about me that only you know, and I want it to stay that way."

Elliot looked at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes, and he asked, "Are you trying to tell me...you have feelings for me, Liv?"

Olivia chugged back her second drink and waited until the barman poured her a third, drank half of that one and said, "No, El. I'm telling you I'm in love with you." She knocked back the rest of drink three, but before she could ask for a fourth, Elliot grabbed her hands.

"Slow down, Liv," he cried. "I really need you to be sober right now." Olivia looked at him and her eyes watered. His eyes were filled with emotion and he cupped her face in his hands. "Do you mean that?"

"Yeah," Olivia sighed, closing her eyes. "I shouldn't have said that. I just fucked up, badly, so could you forget I said that?" she asked, opening her eyes again.

"Liv," he said, turning her toward him on the bench, "Do you know how long I've waited for you to tell me that?" He smiled and pulled her face toward his, kissing her, trying to tell her he felt the same way. He pulled away from her and he saw how stunned she was.

Olivia looked up into his eyes again. "What the hell..."

"To tonight, Liv," was all he said. A toast. Then he picked up his beer, tapped her whiskey glass, and chugged.

Thirty minutes later they were laughing hysterically at the silliest stuff, like the ugly toupee the man next to them was wearing. They couldn't stop smiling, holding hands, and stealing sweet kisses. Elliot looked at her, half-drunk, and said, "Take a walk with me, baby!"

"Where, El?" Olivia asked. "It's two in the morning."

"It's Las Vegas," Elliot said. "I'm sure we can find something to do, right?" He chuckled, left a hundred bucks on the bar, and pulled Olivia up, into his arms, kissing her. "I should have done this years ago, Liv. Told you I loved you, ya know?" he laughed, pulling her out of the casino.

"Yeah," Olivia said, laughing, slightly intoxicated. "I know."

* * *

Olivia woke up first, the next morning, with a throbbing in her head and one between her legs. She rolled to the left and realized someone else was in her bed. Naked. She groaned in realization, knowing exactly who it was. "El," she whispered.

"Hmmm," he groaned, pulling her closer to him. "Munch and Fin are taking the first shift, we don't have to get up, yet, baby."

Olivia smirked. He must have remembered last night, too. There were some parts of the night, though, that were fuzzy. She remembered their fight, and she remembered going to the bar. But then she remembered taking his clothes off, him taking her clothes off, and being kissed, loved and worshipped by Elliot. But everything between her fifth drink and the mind-blowing sex was all a blur. She let her eyes drift open as she ran her fingers through his hair, and she met his open blue eyes.

"Good morning," Elliot said, smiling. He kissed her, deeply.

Olivia brushed his hair back and responding, "Good Morning. What do you remember about last night, exactly?"

Elliot smirked as he rubbed his head and tried to think. "You wore a short white dress, with these killer heels." Then he smiled. "You said that I was the only person you could see yourself marrying, because I was the only man you ever trusted, and ever loved," he recalled, brushing Olivia's hair back.

Olivia smiled, then, too. "That sounds like something I would say." Her brow furrowed, then, and she asked, "Did you tell me you were in love with me for the last seven years, and you stopped sleeping with Kathy because you were afraid you'd call her Olivia?"

Elliot laughed, heartily. "Well, that's true, so I guess I did."

"How long had it been?" Olivia asked, tilting her head, "And was last night enough to make up for it all?"

"I haven't touched Kathy in three years," Elliot said, shaking his head. He turned toward her and growled, "And God yes, Liv, last night was fucking phenomenal."

"What happens now, El?" Olivia asked, biting her bottom lip. "With us? With work?"

Elliot kissed her and said, "We are definitely gonna make this work, Liv. You're mine, baby, finally, and I'm yours," he said, laughing. "Unless, you don't want to. Unless you, uh, regret it. Do you?"

Olivia sighed, looked over at him, and said, "El, you just got divorced. We aren't even dating, and you know that we can't...we aren't allowed to..."

"So we won't tell anyone," Elliot said, raising an eyebrow. "We weren't dating before last night, Liv, but we are now. I think it's beyond dating, actually. I love you, with everything I have. I have for years, and I wanna make this work."

Olivia smiled at him. "Me, too, El," she admitted happilly, kissing him. "How do we keep this a secret?"

"Simple," Elliot said, "If anyone asks me, I say I'm dating this incredibly hot cop from another precinct, and you say the same thing, or we simply don't talk about our love life at work. We act like nothings changed."

Olivia laughed, kissed him, and nodded. "I love you, El."

"I love you, too, baby. You know," Elliot said, pulling her on top of him, "We should probably see what the sex is like when we're not slightly intoxicated."

"We so should," Olivia said, smirking seductively at him. She maneuvered herself onto him, guiding him into her, and she seethed. "Oh, God, Elliot!" she cried, throwing her head back in ecstasy as he filled her.

"You feel so fucking good, Liv," Elliot growled, reaching up to clutch her breasts in his hands, thumbing her nipples as she rode him. He bucked up into her, hard and deep and slow, and made this time last as long as he could. "Come here, baby," he whispered, tugging her down gently. He wrapped a hand around her neck, and the other around her waist, as he kissed her passionately and hit into her, pressing their bodies together as he slid in out of her in an incredibly slow, deep, hard rhythm. The moment they exploded, together, was the same moment Elliot's phone went off. Not moving Olivia off of him, or sliding out of her, he reached onto the nightstand and flipped it open.

"Stabler," he said, still softly kissing Olivia. "Yeah, we're on our way down." He snapped the phone shut and smirked. "Okay, Liv, it's time for us to act like a married couple and catch ourselves a bad guy."

Olivia kissed him, sliding off of him. "Two things that are very easy to do, as long as I'm with you." She dragged her hands down over his bare chest and that's when she yelped, "Holy shit!" She ran her right hand through her hair, as her left stayed frozen on his chest. "Oh, my God, El! What the fuck?"

Elliot saw what she was looking at, his eyes bugged out of his head, and he looked down at his own left hand. His old, dull, plain gold band had been replaced by a shiny, platinum, diamond cut one. He looked up at Olivia and swallowed back, hard. "Liv, baby, you don't think we..."

"Yeah," Olivia said, squeezing her eyes shut. "I do."

**A/N: What happened? What happens with their case? Will they be able to keep this a secret? For how long? That's what you get for waking up in Vegas!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Put your money where your mouth is; you made a promise, now keep it. (Clarification, it's today's date, but they are younger, and have only been partners for 7 years, AU-ishness)**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue, and plot of this story. **

Panic-stricken, shocked and smelling like sex and Elliot, Olivia leaped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. She set the water to almost too-hot, and as she was showering, she cried. What the hell did she do last night? Was it bad that she was happy about this?

Elliot rubbed his eyes and tried to think. How could he have let this all happen? He dreamed of marrying her, and now that he did, he couldn't remember it. He got out of the bed and, while trying to find his clothes, he found their marriage license, signed by both of them. He also came across the certificate of marriage from the Hunka-Hunka-Burnin'-Love Chapel, and three photos of them kissing, smiling and posing with Elvis. They looked happy. Blissfully happy. He smiled and looked toward the bathroom door. He sighed as he tossed their license, certificate and photos onto the bed, sprayed himself with deodorant and got dressed. They didn't have enough time for him to shower, too, so he'd take his later.

Olivia came out of the bathroom, in a towel, with a sheepish look on her face. "So, uh," she began, but then she looked at the bed. "Oh, my God," she cried, picking up all of the legal proof that they were, in fact, married. "Oh, my God," she repeated, but she chuckled as she said it. "Elvis? You had to love that, El. I know you love Elvis."

"Liv," Elliot said, with a furrowed brow. "Look." He held up a black DVD, the label said "Mr. and Mrs. Elliot Stabler, March 14th, 2010." He smirked and popped it into the player, turning on the TV, as Olivia got dressed. His eyes teared as he watched the video of the moments he couldn't remember. She was wearing the short white dress, with the killer heels that he recalled. The words coming out of their mouths, the vows they were saying to each other, were so beautiful, so romantic and so perfect. Olivia plopped next to him, crying, as they watched Elvis declare them husband and wife, and they both wept as they watched themselves cry, and kiss on the screen.

Olivia looked down at her left hand, shocked at the size of the diamond and the shine of the band. "I have two...you bought me an engagement ring, too?"

"Uh, yeah," Elliot said, remembering. "I think I remember asking you to marry me. I probably thought I had to ask, Liv. Make it perfect for you." He wiped his eyes and sniffled as he got off of the bed.

Olivia gasped as her eyes closed, dropping another tear. "Oh, God, you asked me in front of the Bellagio. The fountains. Then we ran to find Elvis. What the hell were we thinking?"

"We weren't thinking, Liv," Elliot said, holstering his gun and clipping his badge to his belt. "We were just feeling. Finally, feeling what we needed to feel. You saw that video, Liv. We didn't fucking look drunk, or stupid, did we? We didn't look like two people making a huge mistake. We looked happy! We looked like we wanted this!" he yelled, holding up his left hand.

Olivia sniffled and wiped her own eyes. She nodded. "Yeah, we did," she said, rising and putting on her shoes. "Where are Mister and Misses McAlister going to meet this psycho this afternoon?"

"That's it? We're just gonna jump right to work? We aren't gonna talk about this?" Elliot asked, a bit stunned. "What do you wanna do about this, Liv?"

"We don't have time to talk about this, now, El," Olivia said, walking out of the bedroom.

Elliot followed her, and before she could reach the door handle, he grabbed her arm and spun her around, pulling her into a hot and passionate kiss. "That's what I wanna do about it, just so ya know," he said, pushing her aside and opening the door.

Olivia, reeling from that kiss and shaking like a leaf, walked out into the hall, as Elliot took her hand. Pretending to be her husband was going to be so much easier, now that he actually was.

* * *

"So, Joseph," the gentleman they were sitting with at the bar began, "We've been spending all this time together, and I have yet to ask, where did you meet your lovely wife?"

Elliot smirked. "We met at work," he said. "Her law firm was defending my company in a copyright case." Elliot looked down at Olivia, catching her eyes. "The minute my eyes met hers in that office, that was it." He nuzzled her neck and kissed her lightly.

"Damn, Stabler, you're makin' me believe you really love her," Fin said into his cufflink.

Elliot chuckled, nuzzling Olivia's neck again, and said, "I fell in love with her the second I laid on eyes on her, and I couldn't be happier, luckier, or more honored to be her husband."

Olivia smiled, looking into his eyes. She knew he meant that. "I love you," she said, talking to Elliot, not Joseph.

"You two are just precious," the man said, smirking. "Tell me, uh, how much do you love your wife, Joe?"

"Excuse me?" Elliot asked. He could almost feel Fin, Munch and Cragen staring. This is what they needed. This is where they needed to go. "What do you mean?"

The man leaned in, resting his hand on Olivia's knee, trailing it up to her thigh as he locked eyes with Elliot. "I asked you, how much do love your wife?"

"More then anything," Elliot said, without hesitating. His arm wrapped protectively around Olivia and his teeth clenched.

"Would you do anything for her?" the man asked, snaking his hand back down her leg.

Olivia dug her fingers into Elliot's knee, and he squeezed her close as he said, "Yes."

"Would you kill for her? Or would you die for her?" the man asked, his voice now dark and gravelly, and as he pulled Olivia over to his lap, he took out a switchblade knife and held it, discreetly, to her stomach. His other hand snaked under Olivia's dress as he asked, "What would you do to save her?"

"I'd give my life for my wife," Elliot said, "But I won't. Not tonight." Elliot smirked as Fin, Munch and Cragen had drawn their weapons. He pulled his own gun and the man's eyes widened.

Olivia turned to look at the perp and said, "You're under arrest." Then she grabbed the hand that held the knife and pulled, yanking backward, causing the man to squeal in pain. Hse kneed him in the stomach, and was about to kick him again when Elliot grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her away. "Enough, baby," he whispered to her.

Once he was on the ground, Fin cuffed him as Munch read him his rights. Cragen walked over to Olivia and Elliot. "Are you two okay?" he asked.

They nodded, heaving a simultaneous sigh, forgetting their hands were still clasped together. "Yeah," Olivia said.

"Good," Cragen said, slapping Elliot on the shoulder. "You two make a very convincing couple, you know that?" he asked. Then he looked down at their hands and said, "You can cut the act now, though."

"Oh, act. Right," Olivia said, yanking her hand out of Elliot's. "I guess we're pretty good at that acting like a couple thing."

Cragen jerked his head toward the group of cops to their left and said, "You have to make your statements, get packed, and we are on the first flight back to New York tomorrow. Five O'clock."

"In the morning?" Elliot asked, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, Stabler," Cragen said. "We've got work to do back home. You think all the rapists in Manhattan took a vacation just because we had to follow some loon across the country?" Cragen looked at Olivia, in her dress, and said, "Besides, I think Benson left someone very cold, and very lonely back in the city." He smiled and walked away.

"What was he talking about, Liv?" Elliot asked, nervous. "You weren't seeing anyone, were you?"

Olivia shook her head. "Cragen thinks I'm still seeing Trevor."

"Oh, God, that ended weeks ago," Elliot said. "You broke up with him..."

"The day you told me Kathy left," Olivia said, a smirk playing at her lips as she started to walk away from him. "I know."

Elliot smirked as he followed her over to the crowd of waiting officers. They gave their personal accounts, signed their written statements, and headed back up to the room. Once the door to their room was shut behind them Elliot sighed. "So, uh, can we talk about this now? What are we gonna do?"

"What is there to talk about, El? We got drunk and we got married," Olivia said, kicking off her shoes. "What do you think we're gonna do about it?" She shook her head and walked into the bedroom.

"Liv," Elliot said, walking after her, "You saw that video. You heard what I said, and I heard what you said, and those were pretty fucking amazing things to say someone when you're drunk. I'm pretty sure I'm starting to remember the entire fucking thing, and I'm not sorry!"

Olivia walked over to the bed, her hips swaying like magic in the dress she was wearing, and she lifted up the license and the certificate again. "Do you see these? We're married, Elliot. You just got divorced, the damn thing was finalized a week ago. No way in hell are you ready for marriage number two already, and with you being Catholic, we're gonna have to fucking..."

"What?" Elliot interrupted. "You're using my religion as an excuse to stay married?"

Olivia bit her lip and looked away from him. "Isn't that what you were gonna do?"

"No," Elliot said. "I was hoping that the fact that I'm madly in love with you would be a good enough reason."

Olivia looked back at the stack of papers in her hands. "Are we them, El?" she said, flicking at the photos. "Is this what we've been burying for seven years? Because if it is, if that's how we really are with each other when the inhibitions are gone, then, damn it, I want that! El, if everything that you said to me last night was true, then..."

"It was, Liv," he interjected. "I meant everything. I might not remember saying it, but I meant it. Did you mean everything you said to me?"

Olivia nodded as she placed the evidence of their marriage on the dresser. "I did," she said. "But how are we gonna explain this? We can't keep this a secret," she said, holding up her hand.

Elliot shrugged. "Liv, the only people we have to tell, legally, are our insurance companies, speaking of which drop your policy I'll put you on mine. We have to tell the IRS, and the Chief of D's, who, if we ask for discretion, won't tell Cragen. We aren't breaking NYPD laws, Liv, just SVU policy. We'll tell Cragen when we're sure he won't split us up, or..."

"You really want this?" Olivia asked, looking at him, pleadingly. "You want me, El? For the rest of your life? I suck at relationships, you have the world's worst temper, and we get on each others nerves a lot. You need to be sure you can stop me if I try to run, and I need to be ready to smack the sense back into you every five seconds. Tell me you really want this, Elliot."

Elliot walked over to her and pulled her toward him, kissing her deeply. "I have, Liv, for years. I've wanted you, for so long. This isn't how I wanted to get here, but it's how I wanted to end up. You're my wife, Liv. If you want to be."

Olivia tilted her head up and kissed him again, deeply. "I want to be. Let's see where this goes, El. Let's do this."

Smiling, Elliot wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, passionately. He reached for the zipper on her dress as he said, "Technically, we're on our honeymoon right now."

Olivia chuckled as she pulled off his tie. "We are, aren't we?" She pulled his shirt out of his pants and began to unbutton it as she felt his hands shirk her dress off. He gasped, and she looked up at him. "What?" she asked, confusion dancing in her eyes.

"You really are the hottest fucking thing I have ever seen," he said, tracing her lips with his fingers. "I get to say that without you slapping me now," he chuckled.

Olivia laughed and unbuckled his pants, pulling him toward the bed. "You can do a lot of things without me slapping you now," she quipped, pulling him on top of her.

"Liv," Elliot said, kissing her, "I have another question for you, and it kind of needs to be answered before we go home tomorrow, since we're, uh, married."

"Well, I know it's not 'will you marry me," she joked, kissing him.

Elliot laughed and tugged off her panties as he asked, "Where do we live? Your place or mine?"

Olivia looked into his blue eyes, sparkling and shining the way they only did when he looked at her, and she shrugged. She had no idea.

**A/N: So how do they keep this a secret? For how long? Where do they choose to live? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Plane rides and workdays. Do they find it easy to keep their secret?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to the genius, Dick Wolf. This story, narrative, dialogue and plot belong to TStabler©**

Five-thirty found Olivia and Elliot on the plane home, seated across the aisle from Cragen and Fin, behind Munch. Olivia kept running her fingers over her rings, disbelievingly. She was married. To Elliot, someone she'd always imagined being with, but still married. She changed her hair color every five months because it was too much of a commitment; she hated sharing her personal space with people, which is why every roommate she had in college pissed her off, and she finally had to request a single room; she didn't know how to cook, and her housekeeping skills could rival those of a teenage boy. What the fuck did she get herself into?

She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the in-flight movie. "What the hell…?" she heard Elliot mumble. Her own face contorted into a mix of pain and suppressed laughter when she realized the movie was about two people who wake up married in Vegas. "Perfect," she muttered to Elliot.

"Hey," he whispered to her, "At least we actually love each other, Liv. Those two clearly…wow, I'm so glad you didn't punch me like that when you saw those rings."

Olivia chuckled. "I thought about it," she quipped. Then she nudged him to let him know she was kidding. Sort of.

Elliot glanced over at Cragen and Fin, who seemed engrossed in the movie, and he covertly slid his arm around his wife. His wife. He still couldn't believe it. This was the woman who had dated Trevor Langan on and off for three years, and every time he talked marriage she got a headache and told him she was moving to Vancouver. He chuckled at the thought, and whispered, "So, uh, how bad is Trevor gonna wanna kick my ass?"

Olivia laughed, loudly, and replied back, "Oh, honey, he doesn't stand a chance against you." She looked into his eyes and sighed, saying, "He never has."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow as he tried to get the flight attendant's attention.

Olivia cleared her throat and nodded. "Constantly compared him to you, and uh, this one time…forget it," she said, shaking her head and moving closer to him when the attendant came over.

"Yeah," Elliot said, "Can we get a blanket, two pillows, and two bottles of water?" The attendant nodded with a smile and walked away, then Elliot turned back to Olivia and said, "I'm not gonna forget it, Liv, I'm your husband. Tell me."

Her heart stopped and she visibly paled when he called himself her husband. Out loud. She took a few shallow breaths and blinked and said, "Fine. You really wanna know? One time, in bed, since Trevor wasn't exactly doing a great job of things, I, uh, had to kind of fantasize to get myself going, and I may have called him 'Elliot'. A few times. Very loudly."

Elliot laughed, the loudest he'd ever laughed, and Munch, Fin, and Cragen all looked at them. "What the hell is so funny over there?" Fin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I told him a joke," Olivia said. "It was kind of stupid, actually. Not funny at all. But, you know Stabler."

Cragen cocked his head to the side and said, "Yeah, unfortunately, I do."

Six-thirty rolled around, and now they were snuggled up, under the blanket, fast asleep. No one looking could see their arms wrapped around each other and their ringed fingers entangled, but they were. Elliot, waking up, took a deep breath and smiled. His lungs filled with the scent of lavender, vanilla, and something he could only describe as "Olivia". He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, blinking his eyes open.

Olivia, smelling his cologne and his fresh, plain, soapy scent, and the faint minty freshness wafting down from his breath, smiled. She could wake up to this every morning. She was going to, now.

"Hey," Elliot said, looking down at her when she tilted her head up.

"Hi," Olivia said, smiling up at him.

Elliot moved over, unclasping his hand from hers, and sighed. He didn't need any questions from Cragen, Fin, or Munch who were all stirring in their seats. "Have you given any more thought to, uh, our living arrangements?"

Olivia yawned and nodded. "Your place. You've got the extra rooms for your kids. I'll just, uh, tell Cragen I lost my lease. The building's going co-op anyway, and I really couldn't afford to buy the place."

Elliot nodded. "Okay," he said. "I'll help you pack tonight. Oh, uh, I called Chief Haggirty, while you were sleeping. He said congratulations, and he's not gonna tell Cragen. That's our job. He does, however, want us to have a huge wedding and invite half the NYPD. He thinks it'll be a great headline. Ya know? 'Love in the SVU.' He wants the New York Times to run it in the social events section."

"Oh, Jesus," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Well, at least the brass knows, so we're not hiding anything from our real bosses."

"Yeah," Elliot said. "Like I said, we're not breaking any real laws here, just a whole lot of department rules and codes, and personal rules, and a promise we made to Cragen seven years ago, and…"

"I get it," Olivia barked. "Thanks!"

Elliot laughed at the vicious look Olivia was giving him. He caught Cragen giving them a suspicious look, smiled and waved at his captain, and whispered to Olivia, "You really think we can keep this from everyone?"

"We don't have any other option, El," Olivia said, through a frozen smile as she, too, waved over to Cragen.

* * *

"That's the last of it," Elliot said, dropping two NYPD duffle bags onto his living room floor. "I was thinking, uh, we could sell your furniture, or put it in storage somewhere. I'm, uh, putting most of my stuff on some internet sale site, so we can go out on Sunday and…"

Olivia interrupted him, blowing a loose hair out of her eyes. "You're doing what?"

"Well, we're gonna need a bigger bed," he said, looking at her like she was nuts. "And the rest of this shit, Liv, looks like it came out of a frat house. I wanna go with you, Sunday, and we'll pick out furniture, together. You have to live here, too, ya know."

"Wow," Olivia said, putting her hands on her hips. "Talk about diving in head first."

Elliot chuckled. "We already did that, baby." He took three steps, closing the gap between them, and pulled her closer. "You look so beautiful like this," he whispered to her, brushing a fallen strand of her behind her ear. "Sweats, no makeup, just pure you."

"You really are in love with me, aren't you?" Olivia asked, looking deep into his eyes.

"I married you, didn't I?" Elliot replied, brushing his lips across her temple.

Olivia leaned in closer to his touch and said, "With a lot of encouragement from Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan."

"Do you remember it, yet?" Elliot laughed, pressing his lips to her forehead, holding her closer, absently swaying her back and forth.

Olivia nodded. "Bits and pieces," she said, swaying with him. "I still don't remember actually marrying you, but I remember agreeing to, and I remember walking up the aisle while the organist played a really bad version of _Jailhouse Rock _because you told them we were cops."

Elliot laughed as he kissed her. "Can't say we didn't have one hell of an original wedding song, can you?" He pulled back slightly and swiped his thump over her lips, as she kissed it softly, and said, "Haggirty had a great idea, though."

"You want to plaster our picture in the Times?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Elliot laughed. "Someday, not right away but soon, we'll have a real, big, white wedding. The kind you and I deserve. And we'll pick a better song."

Olivia laughed and kissed him. "Maybe you should take me on a date first, huh?"

"I've been dating you for seven fucking years, Olivia," Elliot joked, kissing her deeply. "Late night dinners, movies, all those deep, meaningful conversations, putting you before my ex-wife," he said between kisses. "Face it. We were fucking dating."

Olivia, lost in his kiss, just hummed in agreement, and moaned, wrapping her arms around him. Elliot had just found his way to the waistband of her sweatpants, making her gasp and twitch with excitement, when his phone rang.

"God damn it," he mumbled against her lips. "Stabler," he spat into his phone. "Oh, uh, yeah, Cap. Right. No! Uh, I'll go get her. I'm closer. No, no, she's uh, not with Trevor anymore. You're really out of the loop, Cap. Well, yeah, I guess you wouldn't. Got it. Bye." He looked at Olivia as he snapped his phone shut and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Olivia asked, her arms still around Elliot.

"Cragen said, and I quote, 'I don't know what the hell is going on in my detective's personal lives.' That is so true," Elliot laughed. "He was gonna go pick you up himself, so when we get to the scene you should…"

"Tell him I'm staying in a hotel or something," Olivia finished with a nod. "Right."

As Olivia rifled through her bag to find a pair of black pants to change into, Elliot noticed something and cried, "Liv!"

"What?" Olivia asked, looking down to see what Elliot was staring at.

Elliot looked down at his own left hand. "Should we, uh, should we take these off?"

"They're just rings, El. Who the hell is even gonna notice our hands?" Olivia asked, smirking. "Besides, we could always say we forgot we were still wearing them, since we were 'married' for a week," she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

Elliot chuckled. "The rings they provided for us were gold, and cheap-looking. I'm gonna be paying for that platinum rock on your finger until I'm fifty, honey."

Olivia looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "I found the credit card receipt in my suit jacket pocket. If my kids wanna go to college, they'd better get some serious scholarships." He winked at her, telling her he was joking.

Olivia chuckled as she shook her head and kissed him. He watched her change, smirking as she did so, and licked his lips. "I am gonna love taking those pants off of you, later," he said, seductively.

"Come on," Olivia said, quickly. "Whatever this case is, I wanna solve it, fast."

Elliot laughed, evilly, as he followed Olivia out the door. They pulled up to the crime scene, a damp alley between a bank and a florist, and met Cragen and Fin. "Where's Munch?" Elliot asked, striding up to his captain, quickly pulling on a latex glove over his left hand.

"Personal involvement in the case," Cragen said. "The vic is his second ex-wife."

Olivia cringed. "Ouch," she said, making sure her white gloves covered her rings successfully. "How's he taking it?"

"Ask him yourself," Cragen said, bitterly. "He's a suspect."

"What?" Elliot barked, violently. "You can't possibly think…"

"I don't," Cragen said, sighing. "But Tucker does. Tucker thinks a lot of things," he said, glaring at Elliot suspiciously. "I'm sure Munch had nothing to do with this, but you two have to question him anyway. Ya know," he said, pausing and folding his arms, "There's something different about you two."

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other. "What?" Olivia asked, folding her own arms.

"You haven't tried to kill each other yet," Cragen said, looking at his watch. "You made it a whole ten minutes. I'm proud of you. Get to work."

Elliot chuckled and rolled his eyes, wandering over to Melinda Warner. "That was close," he muttered to Olivia, rubbing his hands together, feeling his ring under the latex of the glove and smirking.

"Nah," Olivia said, shaking her head. "Melinda, please tell us something good."

Melinda looked up, shrugged, and said, "I got fluids."

"That'll do," Elliot said, nodding.

* * *

Olivia, plopping into her chair with a hefty sigh, grumbled, "I hate that fucker."

"Who?" Elliot asked, flipping through Munch's written statement.

"Tucker," Olivia said, stifling a yawn. "He was awful in there, El. He made Munch cry!"

Elliot sighed and nodded. "I know, Liv. I was there."

"You two," Cragen said, walking over quickly. "Anything from Warner?"

Olivia and Elliot instantly put their left hands in their pockets, earning a swift raised eyebrow from Cragen. "Yeah," Olivia said, handing Cragen a green file with her right hand. "DNA isn't Munch's. We did get a hit, though."

"What's the COD?" Cragen asked, flipping open the file, trying to pretend the behavior of his two best detectives wasn't odd.

Elliot, shifting his weight against his desk, shrugged and said, "A blow to the head with a really heavy object."

"Very specific, Stabler," Cragen said, sarcastically. "Did you leave your brain in Vegas?"

Elliot laughed. "Nope," he laughed. "I actually got a lot smarter in Vegas. Came home a goddamned genius."

"Prove it," Cragen said, thrusting the file back into Elliot's chest. As Elliot clutched it, with his right hand, Cragen said, "Solve this case and get Tucker off Munch's ass."

"Yes, Sir," Elliot said, nodding.

As she watched Cragen walk back into his office, Olivia leaned over to Elliot and whispered, "We need a better plan."

"What? What are you talking about?" Elliot asked, furrowing his brow.

"I can't exactly do my job with my left hand permanently stuck in my pocket, and I can't wear gloves all goddamn day!" she spat in a harsh whisper, pulling her left hand out of her pocket with a chuckle.

Elliot shook his head. "Weren't you the one who said no one would be looking at our hands?" he asked, as he and Olivia walked out of the bullpen to talk to their new suspect.

"Yeah, well, I got nervous!" Olivia said with a shrug. "You shoved your hand in your pocket, too, so don't play innocent, Stabler."

"Can you still call me that?" Elliot asked, hitting the button for the elevator. "I mean, you're 'Stabler', now, too. So, if I call you 'Benson,' technically, I'm not talking to you."

"Shut up, Elliot," Olivia laughed as she walked into the lift.

Elliot chuckled. "You're keeping your name then?"

"Professionally," she said with a nod and a suggestive look. "Do you really want to see Cragen's face, or hear him yell, if I hand him a new personal data sheet and he reads, 'Olivia Stabler?' Because I sure as hell don't."

"Sooner or later," Elliot said, shrugging as they walked out into the lobby, "You'll have to."

"I pick later," Olivia laughed. "But, uh, I'm getting a new driver's license on Saturday." She winked at him as they walked out into the parking lot.

As soon as they were in the car, away from prying eyes, Elliot planted a soulful kiss on his wife, one which she gladly returned. "What was that for?" she asked as Elliot started to pull out of the lot.

"What, I can't kiss my wife?" Elliot asked, smirking like a sly fox.

Olivia chuckled, running her thumb over her rings as he heard the words leave his lips. She was his wife. She still couldn't believe it. When they got home, though, he'd make her believe it.

**A/N: How?? What does he do? What happens when the kids come to visit? **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Proving Elliot's point, furniture shopping surprises, and telling the kids. Ready for the weekend?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to the genius, Dick Wolf. This story, narrative, dialogue and plot belong to TStabler©**

"I hated that," Olivia said, walking into Elliot's place, which was now hers, too. "Every single part of tonight absolutely sucked."

"Not every part of it," Elliot said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Olivia chuckled. "Okay, the parking garage sex was kinda hot," she said. "But everything else sucked!"

"We cleared Munch," Elliot said, shrugging. "That didn't suck."

"Will you cut it out and let me mope?" Olivia said, slapping him in the arm.

Elliot laughed, kissing her. "No moping, baby. We are home now and we can do things that husbands and wives do."

"I'm not cooking, or cleaning, and I'm sure as hell not doing the laundry," Olivia joked.

"Baby," Elliot said, kissing her again, "No one asked you to do any of that. That's not you, Liv. That's not who I married. Besides, uh, I was talking about taking a nice hot bath together, then getting into bed and making love all goddamn night." he bent his head and sucked a spot on her neck that made her crazy. She moaned, then her pulled away, grinning.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Husbands and wives don't usually do that, El."

"I know," Elliot said smirking. "I'm raising the bar now, Liv."

Olivia nodded and smirked. "So, on long, sucky nights, you went home and took hot baths with..."

"Hell no, I didn't," Elliot laughed. "She's lucky she even got me notice she was even in the damn house half the time. My thoughts were always, always, on you." He kissed her, pressing his body into hers, moving her toward the bathroom. "I've wanted you, and this, for so long, Liv. That first night in that hotel room, I'm so thankful we sobered up before the sex because I'd never forgive myself if I couldn't remember being with you, inside you, for the very first time." He kissed her again, holding the back of her neck gently, and laced his other hand, his left, with hers. Their rings clinked together and Olivia broke away from the kiss.

"I'm married," Olivia said, resting her forehead against his.

Elliot tilted her head up and kissed her. "Yes, you are. So am I. Wanna have an affair?" he joked.

"I'm married to you," Olivia said, looking into his eyes.

"I'm aware, yeah," Elliot said, smirking. "If you're just realizing this now, you were drunker than I thought."

"I remember," Olivia said, smiling. "I remember everything. When you asked me to marry you, I thought you were joking, but you pulled out the ring and..." she paused, looked up at him, and a gross realization hit her. Hard. "We were nowhere near a jewelry store, El. When did you get the ring?"

Elliot looked at her, unsure of what to say, and blinked twice. "I don't remember."

"El," Olivia said, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes, "I remember watching you buy our wedding bands. I was right next to you. When did you buy my engagement ring?"

Elliot sighed. "Three years ago," he said.

"What?" Olivia yelped. "It's got our names engraved on the inside, along with the date that we got..."

"No," Elliot interrupted. "See, you don't remember everything. Take the ring off, look at the date again."

Olivia, nervous, slid the ring off of her finger, turned it over, and gasped. "The day we met? Oh, El! So, wait. You just walked around with this in your pocket waiting for the right time to get drunk and propose?"

"Liv, I told you, I love you," Elliot said. "I have always loved you. I was out one day, and I saw it, and I knew, Liv. I knew it belonged on your finger, and I bought that ring with the psychotic hope that one day I'd be able to ask you to marry me. One day we'd be together, and I'd get down on one knee and propose. I gave up, though, and I was just gonna give it to you when we solved that case in Vegas, as kind of a memento, ya know? So you'd remember us being married for a week, even if we were only pretending. But with a little...truck load of alcohol in my system, I pulled it out and really fucking asked you to marry me." He looked at her, searching her eyes for a reaction. She was silent, just looking into his eyes. "Say something," he pleaded.

"I really fucking said 'yes,'" she said, throwing her arms around him and pulling him all the way into the bedroom. "Screw the bath," she mumbled, tugging him down on top of her as she fell onto the bed behind her. "Make love to your wife, Stabler."

"You got it," he said, grinning, "Stabler."

Olivia groaned in pleasure as Elliot kissed her deeply and started sliding off her clothes. If she wasn't convinced he really wanted her for life before, she certainly was now.

* * *

"This one?" Elliot asked, pointing to a leather couch.

Olivia cocked her head to the side. "The living room walls are cream, honey. Does it come in any other colors? We don't want the couch to blend in with the paint, baby."

"Yeah," Elliot said, nodding. "Black, dark brown, and...turquoise?" he said, making a face as he read the description tag. "Who the fuck would buy a blue, leather couch?"

He and Olivia looked at each other then both said, "Munch!" They laughed and he leaned over and kissed her. "You like it, though?" Elliot asked, sitting on it. "Oh, this is nice."

Olivia plopped next to him and smirked at him. "Soft, comfy, big."

"We can have a whole lot of commercial-sex on this thing," Elliot said, leaning back and draping his arm over his wife.

"Commercial-sex?" Olivia asked, chuckling.

Elliot nodded. "Not that I've ever had it before, but I've heard about it. Liv, baby, little quickies during commercial breaks when we're watching TV."

"We will have plenty of sex on this couch," Olivia said, her eyes gleaming. "But, baby, ain't gonna be nothin' little or quick about it," she said through a closed mouth smirk as she leaned into him.

Elliot chuckled and kissed her again. He pulled her off the couch and took a ticket for it, circling the word "black" on the slip. "Uh, coffee table, kitchen set, new bed, and a dresser. Then I think we're done."

Olivia took his hand, peering up at him. "We're really buying furniture."

"Yeah," Elliot said, waving the three slips in his hand at her. "We are, baby."

"Bed," she snapped, pulling him toward the section where the beds lived. "Look at this one, honey! Big, beautiful, sturdy, and...oh, my God!" she cried, freezing. "Shit! What do we do?"

Elliot, also frozen, said, "Uh, um, they haven't seen us. So if we back away slowly..."

"Benson!" Casey yelled, running toward her. "Olivia, you were supposed to call me last night. You are never gonna believe who Trevor's rebound girl is this time. It's Alex! If you don't go back to him now, I think Cabot might dig her claws in for good."

Olivia made an odd face as she began, "Um, Case, I really don't care what..."

"Hey, Stabler," Fin said, interrupting, slapping his friend on the arm. "What are you two doing here?"

"Uh, what are _you two _doing here?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow.

Fin chuckled. "Our bed broke. Her fault. Totally her fault."

"You threw me on it, Fin! Then you jumped on me," Casey barked. "How is that my fault."

"If you weren't so damn irresistible, Novak, I wouldn't have done it," Fin said, folding his arms. "Your turn, Stabler. Why are you two here?"

Olivia spoke up first. "Well, you know he moved into a new place in Manhattan. So, I'm just..."

"Oh, you need to make sure his new shit matches his other shit," Fin said, chuckling, with a nod. "That's cool of you, Baby-Girl. 'Partners for life' always extends to outside of the job with you two."

"You have no idea how true that is, Fin," Elliot said, laughing.

Casey turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Stabler, why are you looking at the king-size beds? It's just you now."

"I, uh, roll around a lot. Used to kick and hit the shit out of Kathy. And, uh, I recently found out that I roll off of twin beds," Elliot explained.

Olivia's eyes widened as she turned to him and asked, concerned, "Oh, God! How's your head?"

"Doesn't even hurt," Elliot said, turning to her. "I tried to hold on, Liv, but the bed was too fucking small. And, well, I wouldn't have actually fallen off of the bed if you hadn't had your elbow..." he paused, remembering Casey and Fin were there. He turned, slowly, back to face them and said, "So, that's why I need a king-size bed."

"Where was Benson's elbow?" Casey asked, smirking.

"Nowhere," Olivia said, quickly. "So, I like that one, El. You should get that one. Let's go look at the kitchen shit." She shoved him toward the kitchen furniture.

"Liv," Elliot said, trying to push back against her shoving, "I have to fill out the ticket for the bed and...oh, God, if you push a little harder and up a little higher I think I might marry you."

Olivia smacked him in the shoulder, and they both laughed. "Jackass, get the ticket for the damn bed, then."

"Got it," he said. "Cherry, maple or wrought iron?"

"Everything else is cherry," Olivia said, still chuckling.

"Cherry it is," he circled his choice and looked up at Fin. "See? I couldn't do this by myself."

Fin laughed and nodded. "Okay, we'll see you guys later. Casey wants to look at the couches. She fell in love with Munch's new one, even though it's blue."

"Yeah," Olivia said, chuckling. "Bye, guys." She and Elliot watched Fin and Casey walk toward the living room furniture and they both sighed in relief. "I almost had a heart attack."

"So did I," Elliot said, exhaling sharply. "I was serious, though, baby. My neck is fucking killing me, if you could really just rub..."

"Shut up," Olivia spat as she hit him in the arm again, laughed, and shoved him into the next department.

* * *

"It looks amazing in here," Elliot said, falling onto his new couch.

Olivia fell on top of him, and said, "Except the kitchen."

"Two to five weeks," Elliot said, kissing her. "I'm sorry they didn't have any of the cherry wood in the warehouse, baby."

"That's okay, baby," Olivia said, nuzzling him. "We got the couch and the bed, which we needed desperately."

Elliot smirked. "Which one do you wanna christen first?"

"Well, we're already on the couch," Olivia said, narrowing her eyes and grinning evilly.

Elliot chuckled as he picked his head up and kissed her. He trailed his hands down her back, gave her ass a nice squeeze, and wrapped her legs around him. As they kissed, their hands moved to each other's pants, trying desperately to get them off. Just as Olivia pulled him out of his boxers, and he moaned in satisfaction, his phone rang. "Not happening," he said against Olivia's lips as she stroked him. "Damn, baby, that feels so good," he mumbled, sliding his fingers over her slit and making her gasp. "Fucking phone," he grumbled as he heard it ring again. He flipped it open, thinking it was work, and said, "Stabler. Wait, you're where? What? You can't do that...you took them with you, so I thought that you...woah-ho-ho, hold on a minute. We are so doing this legally because I really can't deal..." there was a knock on the door, and Elliot's eyes closed. "You didn't say you already did it, Kathy! What the hell is wrong with you? Fuck you, too! Yeah, I will!" He snapped his phone shut and looked up at Olivia. "Not that I would not love to fuck the living shit out of you right now, honey, but my psycho ex-wife just dropped off all four of my kids."

"Oh, God," Olivia gasped, climbing off of him. She straightened herself out and watched as he readjusted himself and answered the door.

"Hey, guys!" Elliot said, happily, not wanting to give his kids any reason to think they weren't wanted. "I wasn't expecting you!"

"We know," Maureen said. "Mom said it would be a nice surprise."

Dickie folded his arms and said, "It was sure a surprise to us. She flat out said she didn't want us anymore and handed us off to you. Not that we won't love being here, Dad."

"I'd rather be with you anyway," Kathleen said. "Because if we're with you then we get to see more of...Liv!" She ran to the couch and hugged Olivia.

"Hey, Katie," Olivia said, nervously glancing at Elliot.

Lizzie, Dickie, and Maureen all ran over and hugged her, too. "What are you doing here?" Maureen asked.

Olivia looked up at Elliot, then said, "Just, uh, hanging out with your Dad."

"Liv," Elliot said, running a hand through his hair, "I don't know how long they're gonna be here, and I don't feel right about keeping this from them, so we should..."

"Oh, my God!" Lizzie squealed holding Olivia's hand. "Who is he, Liv? Is he cute?"

"Woah," Dickie gasped. "That is one hunk of ice, Liv! Did Dad kick his ass?"

"Dickie!" Elliot yelled. "Watch the language. And no I didn't kick his ass," he said, folding his arms.

Kathleen smiled at Olivia and said, "Okay, this isn't just an engagement ring, Liv. That's a wedding band, too. I thought we were supposed to be in your wedding!"

"Uh, well," Olivia said, cringing. "Technically, I wasn't even really at my wedding."

Elliot laughed and Maureen looked confused. "What?" she asked.

"I, uh, got married in Las Vegas. It was spontaneous, and pretty damn stupid, but we're both very happy and we are very much in love," Olivia said.

"Wow," Maureen said. "I was pretty sure I knew who you were in love with." She looked at her siblings and raised her eyebrows. "We all were. I guess we were all wrong guys," she said.

Lizzie, not smiling anymore, looked up and said, "Wait! Daddy, weren't you just in Vegas?"

Elliot bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Uh-huh," he said, taking a step toward the couch.

"With Olivia?" Maureen asked, slowly turning to face her father.

Elliot bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Uh-huh," he said, slowly sitting next to Olivia, his eyes fluttering closed.

Kathleen blinked and looked at Elliot, saying, "You didn't! Did you?"

Elliot bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Uh-huh," he said, taking Olivia's hand in his and looking at her, softly. "I did. Yeah," he said as he kissed and smiled at Olivia, then turned to face his kids.

"That's why you didn't kick his ass!" Dickie snapped. Then he smirked. Then he laughed. He chuckled as he yelled, "Way to go, Dad!"

**A/N: Are they all as excited as Dickie? What will Fin say at work tomorrow? And how will Trevor react when he finds out, in front of Alex? Guess the glitter's off their clothes now, huh?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The rest of the kids react. Elliot's tempted to tell Trevor, but why? And a gift from Chief Haggirty almost blows their cover.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked, stifling his laugh. The look on Olivia's face was priceless.

Olivia, stunned, nodded. "How did they know?" she asked.

"They're my kids, Liv. They probably figured it out before we did," Elliot said, shrugging. "The point is, they're not mad or upset. I can breathe."

"Glad one of us can," Olivia said, still staring in front of her. "I'm not…"

Elliot pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the forehead. "Relax, baby," he interrupted.

"They hate me," Olivia said. "You saw Maureen's face. She said 'congratulations,' then stormed into her room. Katie shook her head and told us how upset she was. The twins were the only ones who seemed really happy."

"Liv," Elliot laughed. "Maureen was stunned, baby. She was stunned, but smiling, and she didn't 'storm', she just kind of plodded. They're all tired. Katie told us she was upset that we skipped the planning, because she wanted to help you plan a wedding, you know that. Liv, my kids saw this coming, baby. They just wanted to _actually_ see it coming, does that make sense?"

Olivia nodded, then looked up at Elliot. "Yeah," she said, trying to smile. "I would have really liked to see it coming, too." She smirked and said, "The only thing I really saw coming that night was you, El."

Elliot narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Did you really just say that?" he asked.

"I did," Olivia said, smirking back at him. "Yeah. I'm calm now," she said, kissing him. "Do you think they'll forgive us?"

"For what?" Elliot asked. "We didn't do anything to merit forgiveness. We're gonna have a real wedding, eventually. Katie and Mo will get to help you plan it. The difference is, the pressure's off. We're already married, so there won't be any jitters or nerves to worry about."

Olivia laughed. "Right," she said, sarcastically. "I won't be nervous at all walking down an aisle in a huge white dress in front of everyone I've ever met, and the fucking _New York Times_," she laughed.

"Well, when you put it that way," Elliot snickered, kissing her. "It still sounds like the second best day of my life."

"Now that you can actually remember the first, you mean?" Olivia teased.

Elliot chuckled, got to his feet, and pulled her off the couch. "Let's go to bed, Misses Stabler," he growled, tugging her close and biting her neck.

"Your kids are here!" Olivia gasped, being shoved into the bedroom.

Elliot pulled back from her neck, looked her in the eyes, and said, "And they're probably gonna be here for a while. You're gonna have to learn to be quiet."

"Uh, El," Olivia said, smirking, "I was never loud. Until you."

Elliot chuckled, slowly undressing his wife. "I'm sure you can try to keep it low," he said as he kissed her, dropping her pants. "And breathy," he added, tugging off her panties.

Olivia moaned as he kissed her, her hands nimbly stripping his clothes away, too. "You'll just have to find a way to keep my mouth shut, honey," she quipped, pressing her lips to his once again. They dropped effortlessly onto their new, big, comfortable bed, and, for the first time, they made love without a sound between them. It was an intense, emotional experience, moving Olivia to tears and Elliot pretty damn close to them, and they didn't stop until the alarm went off, hours later.

It was an interesting, eye-opening morning. Olivia flew into "wife and mother" mode naturally, making lunches, making sure the kids had everything they needed, and ushering them into the car with time to spare. It was a little tense, for her, since she was still trying to gauge their honest reactions, but when they each kissed her through her window before they ran into the school, she felt a lot better. Dickie even winked at her and called her "Mom."

* * *

When they walked into the bullpen, Cragen was standing, staring at their desks. "Can you explain that?" he asked, pointing to a large package.

"Uh, it's a box," Elliot said. "A big, brown box. There ya go."

Cragen furrowed his brow. "Funny, Stabler. It's from Haggirty, and it's addressed to Mister and Misses Elliot Stabler. I thought you and Kathy were done."

"We are," Elliot said, sending a wary glance to Olivia. He peeled off the card, read it and sighed. "It's for me and Liv."

Olivia's eyes widened and she quickly said, "Because we made such a good couple! That whole Vegas thing, right? What a character, that Chief Haggirty!"

"He sent you two a wedding gift for your fake wedding?" Munch asked, his eyes narrow behind his sunglasses.

"I think he sent them a gift for a job well done, you bony-ass mother fucker," Fin spat with a laugh, shaking his head. "Like that time he sent me a basketball after my undercover stint with the Nicks back when I was working Narcotics. That man called me 'Leroy' for a month, too!"

Elliot raised his eyebrow and said, "Uh, yeah. Like that, Fin." He peeled back the brown paper and

"Well," Olivia said, smirking, "What is it?"

Elliot scratched his head. "China," he said. "Really, really good china. An entire set of very expensive, service for eight, monogrammed china."

"What?" Olivia gasped.

"I got a basketball," Fin said, getting out of his seat, "And you got two-thousand dollar dishes?"

Munch looked at them and said, "How, exactly, are you supposed to split that?"

Fin smacked Elliot on the arm, laughing, and said, "Man, the Chief knows you two were only pretending to be married, right?"

"Of course he does," Cragen said. "He's probably assuming that, since Elliot's divorce, he only needs service for five, and Olivia's single, but dating, so three's probably enough. They can split it. Right, guys?"

"Right," Elliot said, smirking. He lifted the box off of his desk and put it carefully down on the floor behind Olivia's. Just as he sat in his seat, though, Trevor Langan barreled through the doors.

"I come bearing gifts," he said, handing a blue, folded document to Elliot, and one to Olivia.

"More wedding presents?" Munch joked.

Trevor paled, his heart went to his chest, and he choked, "What?"

"Nothing," Olivia siad quickly.

Elliot chuckled. "What are these?" he asked, opening the sealed document.

"You two have been served," Trevor said with a smirk.

"For what?" Olivia asked, opening her subpoena.

Trevor, smugly, said, "I'm calling you as witnesses for the defense in the McDaniels case.

Elliot snapped his head toward Langan. "But we're the ones who arrested and interrogated him!"

"Exactly," Trevor said. "You brutally forced him into a police car and then berated him and beat him down until he…" Trevor paused, looking at Olivia. "There's something different about you, Benson."

"Well, this is my new extremely pissed off face," Olivia said, folding her arms. "Like it?"

Trevor took a step closer. "I do, yes. You look hot," he said, "But that's not what I mean. Your eyes. They're brighter. Clearer. You have this glow around you, I've never seen it before and I pay a lot of attention to you. And you're not yelling at Elliot for this. Normally, the second I hand you any kind of legal order you yell at him." He blinked, took another step toward her and said, "Who is he?"

"Excuse me?" Olivia said, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Who is who, Trevor?"

Trevor shook his head leaned closer, and whispered. "Is it him? Olivia, just tell me, is it him? Because if it is then I know that there is absolutely no chance of us…"

"No," Olivia said, her breath catching in her throat as she lied to him. "It's not him. It's no one. I can't just be happy?"

"No, Olivia. Not like this. I know what that is," Trevor said, still whispering to her, "I know _who_ that is." He turned to Elliot and asked, "What did you do to her?"

Elliot smirked. "I married her."

"What!?" Trevor yelled.

Fin laughed. "Relax, Langan," he said. "It was an undercover gig. They ain't really married."

"Why do you even care? Aren't you dating Alex Cabot now?" Elliot spat, narrowing his eyes.

"Who I'm dating and who I'm in love with are totally different…forget it," Langan said, shaking his head. "This is not what I came down here for. You two need to be in court tomorrow morning, ten o'clock." Sending one last confused glance at Olivia, and one more angry look at Elliot, Trevor left the squadroom.

"You two have nothing to worry about," Cragen said, speaking of the trial. "You did everything by the book. And he knows that. He's grasping at straws since he knows he's gonna lost his case." He slapped Elliot on the shoulder and nodded. "Don't let him get to you."

"I think I got to him, actually," Elliot said, smirking at Olivia as Cragen walked into his office.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. The secret would be out sooner or later, but it was certainly fun keeping it to themselves while they could.

* * *

When they got home, a long while after the kids had gone to bed, Olivia and Elliot put their new china, still in the box, on the kitchen floor. "We need a china cabinet, now, don't we?" Olivia asked.

"I think so," Elliot replied. "This was just unnecessary, Liv. Look at these." He held up a white dish, with a large monogrammed "S" in the middle. An "E" and "O" in elaborate black script were wound around the "S" on either side. It was contemporary, but beautiful and obviously custom made.

Olivia smiled as she took the plate out of his hands and placed it back in the box. "At least someone's happy for us," she muttered.

"He's the only one who knows, baby," Elliot said, surprised. "You don't think anyone will be happy for us when they find out?"

Olivia scoffed. "I think we're gonna get in a shit load of trouble with Cragen, all of our friends are gonna be pissed off, and I do not wanna even think about what Kathy is gonna do or say," she said, walking into the bedroom.

"First off, honey, I don't really give a fuck what Kathy does or says. Second, if they're really our friends, they'll be over the fucking moon. And what's the worst that could happen at work? Cragen splits us up? One of us transfers? So, the fuck, what?" he spat, grabbing her shoulders and turning her around. "None of that matters now, Liv. The only reason it did before was because that was the only way we could have each other, right? Not now." He brushed the hair out of her eyes and behind her ear, gazing softly into her eyes. "Now I have you in the only way I ever really needed to have you, baby. And it's forever."

Olivia smiled at him and sniffled, trying to ward off the tears, trying to avoid the fact that he had, once again, made her cry. "Damn you, Stabler," she chuckled, wiping her eyes. "You did it again," she laughed, flicking away a fallen tear.

"As long as they're happy tears, Liv," Elliot said as he kissed her falling droplets away, "Cry."

Olivia looked into his eyes, her tears stopped, and she saw the same thing she remembered seeing in them the night he married her. Pure love. It scared her, comforted her, and filled her with an incredible warmth all at the same time. "I love you," she said, softly.

"I love you, too," he replied, kissing her sweetly. The electricity shooting through them as they kissed was powerful, and in seconds the kiss had morphed from sweet and romantic to passionate and feral. "God," Olivia moaned against Elliot's lips as she was thrown onto the bed with him on top of her.

Elliot unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it away quickly, and made quick work of his pants. "Haven't slept in almost twenty-four hours, and I'm not tired enough to stop this," he chuckled. He kissed Olivia deeply, slipping down her pants, getting ready to make love to his wife. He slipped a finger inside of her and she gasped into his mouth.

"Oh, El, God, don't stop," Olivia panted, bucking against his hand.

"I don't plan to, baby," Elliot whispered to her.

He didn't have a choice, though, when his phone rang. He rolled his eyes, and pushed himself up a bit. He reached over to the night-table, grabbed his phone, and snapped it open. He gave a very frustrated sounding, "Stabler," as a greeting. "Fin? Man, calm down. What? Oh, shit," he said on a dejected sigh, his eyes closing. "Dude, stop. Stop yelling, Fin. Fin! Stop! We'll be right there, okay? Just, please, don't say anything to anyone. We'll explain everything when we get there." He hung up the phone, gave Olivia a quick, apologetic kiss, and sat up. "Well, the good news is our kitchen set came in really fucking early."

"What?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowed. "What's the bad news?"

Elliot sighed, getting off the bed to find his clothes. "They delivered it with Fin and Casey's couch."

"So? They think that it's yours, don't they?" Olivia asked, unsure of why he had just fought with Fin. "What's the problem?"

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Liv, baby, they saw the receipt. We paid with the new account, the new card." He pulled on his jeans and saw the frightened look in her eyes, and then he had to confirm her worst fear. "I was too busy kissing your neck, so you signed it, remember? You handed the guy your new license. You signed it 'Olivia Stabler.' Honey, they know."

**A/N: What will happen when Elliot and Olivia get to Fin and Casey's? How happy are the kids? And is Cragen really as oblivious as he seems? What will happen when Trevor and Alex find out the truth…in the courthouse (but not during the trial)! Read on! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Fin and Casey react. How do Trevor and Alex find out? And the one person who shouldn't know, may have actually been there!**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"I just don't understand, Olivia," Casey spat, pacing in front of the couch where her exhausted friend sat. "I mean, you two weren't engaged. Hell, you weren't even dating! I didn't think there was anything between you! No love, no romance, no...nothing!"

"Really?" Olivia asked, sarcastically. "What show have you been watching? Because his kids saw this coming a mile away, and I think Cragen was pretty sure, when he made me Elliot's partner…"

"You know what I mean!" Casey interrupted.

Elliot chuckled. "Well, obviously we weren't gonna act on it, Casey! I was married, and I thought that she wouldn't...it was just impossible. Do you know how many times I had to stop myself from just walking up to her and telling her how I felt?"

Olivia looked at him, brushed a hand against his cheek, and said, "The minute he could, he did."

"But instead of a nice dinner and a movie, you got married?" Casey asked, sounding more like an angry mother than a concerned friend. "What the hell? How drunk were you?"

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "We may have been slightly intoxicated," she said with a tilt of her head. "But even when we sobered up, Case, I wanted this. We both want this. This is real, and it's not going away. I'm happy, for the first time in my life, so if you could stop sounding like Serena on a good day, that'd be great."

Casey flinched. She knew how much Olivia had hated her mother, and being compared to her just then must have meant that she was making Olivia feel pretty damn awful.

Fin, who had been leaning against his wall staring at the two of them, said, "I think it's awesome, guys. Congratulations. Munch owes me a hundred bucks, by the way, but what I wanna know, Stabler, is this. I'm your best friend. I was there. In Vegas with you. You coulda said somethin', I swear I wouldn't have told anyone." He shrugged. "Ya know?"

"I know," Elliot said. "I'm sorry, Fin. We were scared to death and still not really sure what we were gonna do, so telling someone what we did, especially someone we work with, it just didn't seem like a good idea."

"I gotcha," Fin said. "So, you two tied the knot. That's a pretty big jump for you Baby-Girl."

"One small step for man," Olivia said, linking her hand with Elliot's, "One giant leap for Olivia Benson."

"Stabler," Elliot said, smirking, as he leaned over and kissed her.

"She changed her name," Casey said, handing them the receipt from their furniture. "That means you're really serious. You're staying married. You made a drunken mistake in Vegas, and you're going to actually…"

Elliot glared at her, cutting her off. "It was not a mistake, Casey! We may have been plastered, but our hearts were fully aware of what they were doing. Everything came back to me the next day and, lemme tell ya, I don't think I could have asked for a better wedding. You wanna see the video?"

"I'll pass," Casey said, turning away from them and heading into the kitchen.

Olivia was heartbroken. She leaned into Elliot and dropped her head to his shoulder. "This is why I didn't want to tell anyone. I told you they'd hate us."

Fin walked over to the couch and pulled Olivia into a hug. "Baby-Girl, she just needs time," he said. "We all will. This is a pretty big shock, and I think she'd just hurt that she missed out on seeing you marry the one person she knows you really love. She wanted to be there. We both did," he told her. "Give her time."

Olivia nodded. "Thanks, Fin," she said, smiling at him. "We should go, El."

"Yeah," Elliot said, kissing Olivia's forehead, "Please, don't say anything. We'll tell other people when we're ready."

Fin nodded. "You got it man," he said. "I'll help you out with the furniture."

Elliot got off the couch, giving Olivia's knee a squeeze as he did, and said, "When we get home, I'll give you a nice, long backrub before we go to bed. How's that sound?"

Olivia looked up at Elliot, as she rose off of the couch, and said, "That sounds absolutely wonderful." She knew, though, what that backrub would lead to, and she knew they would go another night without sleep.

* * *

Through a yawn, Elliot grumbled, "I hate Trevor Langan."

"We both do," Olivia mumbled stifling her own yawn.

"You dated him, Liv," Elliot said, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands. "You couldn't have hated him that much."

Olivia scoffed. "My options were pretty limited, El," Olivia said, yawning again. "I never said I was with him because he was a good person. It wasn't an emotional relationship on my end." She shot him a look, telling him to drop the subject. "You were great, by the way. You stayed calm, you were professional," she said on a yawn. "Ya know, we wouldn't be this tired if you hadn't…"

"Hey, you weren't complaining last night," Elliot interrupted smugly.

"I couldn't say much of anything, El," Olivia said with a smirk. "You kept my mouth pretty damn busy and my brain wasn't really working."

Elliot chuckled. He whispered, "So I guess I fucked you stupid, huh?"

Olivia smacked him in the arm and laughed, then the front chamber doors opened. They stood up and then the judge came back in, sat behind the stand, and banged his gavel. Everyone took their seast again. "Court is back in session," the judge said. "Madame Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?" The foreman nodded and handed the bailiff a folded piece of paper, which was then handed off to the judge. The judge read it, nodded, then looked at the foreman. "On the count of rape in the first degree, please tell the court how you find."

"We find the defendant guilty, Your Honor," the woman said, stoically.

Elliot chuckled in his seat, squeezed Olivia's knee, then caught the angry eyes of Trevor Langan. He smirked at the lawyer and rose out of his seat, deliberately straightening his tie and jacket with his left hand. His ring glinted in the lights of the courtroom, and he knew it. He saw Trevor's eyes widen, then narrow, and his smirk grew evil. He walked out of the courtroom, followed by Olivia, knowing that Langan would be catching up to them in a moment.

"Hey, Liv," Elliot said, making her stop in the hall. "Come here, you have fuzzy thing on your…"

Trevor Langan strode up to the, as he watched Elliot pick lint off of Olivia's jacket, and he interrupted with, "What the hell is on your finger?"

Elliot turned, abruptly, pretending to be surprised, said, "Oh, um, a ring. Tough luck in there, Langan. Maybe if you had more evidence that…"

"Shut up," Langan interjected, "And tell me what's going on here." He looked at Olivia, a lump in his throat, and said, "You really are…aren't you? You got married in Vegas," he said, yanking Olivia's left hand into his. "Holy shit, Olivia. I thought that…wow, uh, that's a really nice ring." He looked up into her eyes, his own filling with tears that he refused to shed. "Are you happy?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

"Yes, Trevor," Olivia said, smiling sadly at him. "You know I am."

Trevor blinked, and sighed, and said, "I do know that, I knew you loved him. You've been in love with him for a long time. I just…I thought I would…"

"Trevor, man, you should stop talking," Elliot said, his eyes focusing on someone walking up behind Trevor.

Trevor looked at Elliot and said, "No, Stabler. I have to say this now. Olivia, I love you. You know I love you and…"

"Trevor!" Elliot snapped. "You really need to stop talking!"

"Elliot," Trevor said, snapping back, "Just because you and Olivia got married doesn't mean my feelings for her are just gonna disappear, so…"

"What?" a voice from behind him asked, stunned.

Elliot ran a hand down his face. Olivia went pale. Trevor gulped. He turned around and said, "Hey, Alex."

"You two," Alex said, pointing at Olivia and Elliot, "Are married?"

Olivia and Elliot nodded, together, hoping Alex wouldn't freak out like Casey did. "Yeah, Cabot," Elliot said, biting his bottom lip. "I guess what happens in Vegas follows you the fuck home." He grabbed Olivia's hand and looked around nervously, hoping no one else that they knew, or cared about, was around.

"And you," Alex snapped, suddenly pointing to Trevor, "Are still in love with her?"

Trevor sighed. "Not completely, no. Just…kind of...maybe. But, Alex I…"

"Trevor, stop talking," Alex said, running a hand through her hair.

"A lot of people seem to want me to stop talking today," Trevor said, mumbling.

Alex looked back at Olivia, held out her hand, and said, "Lemme see it."

"What?" Olivia asked, trying to judge whether or not this was Alex's mad face or not. "Your hand, Benson. If you two got married, then I know he asked you first, that means you got a ring, and I wanna see it," Alex said.

Olivia took a deep breath and slipped her hand into Alex's. Alex's eyes widened, then filled with tears. She pulled on Olivia's hand, tugging her into a hug. "Congratulations, Benson. I knew this would happen. Just, uh, not like this. I wanted to be there, Olivia," she said, pulling away from the hug. "Why didn't you call me? I would have flown out!"

"Well, we didn't really plan it," Olivia said, scrunching her face, "Alex, we were sort of…"

"Drunk off our asses," Elliot said, chuckling. "We didn't elope, Cabot. We just spontaneously got married," he said. "There's a difference."

Alex laughed. "Well, uh, are you staying married? You're gonna make this work?"

Elliot nodded, smiling brightly. "We are. We already told my kids, and Fin and Casey know. But guys, you especially Trevor, you need to keep this to yourselves."

Trevor nodded. Alex said, "I know. I figured I'd have to keep secrets like this for you two eventually."

"Thank you," Olivia said, hugging Alex again. "Thank you so much for being happy about this," she whispered to Alex.

"Olivia," Alex said, surprised, "I know how much you love him, and I know he makes you happy. Of course, I'm happy for you. Both of you, even though I think he's kind of a dick."

"Hey!" Elliot barked, narrow-eyed.

Trevor held out his hand to Elliot, sighing, and said, "Congratulations. You got a great girl, Elliot."

"I know I do," Elliot said, shaking Trevor's hand and nodding.

"Take care of her, man," Trevor said. "If she lets you," he added with a laugh.

Elliot chuckled. "For the rest of my life," he said, glancing lovingly at Olivia. "We gotta go, though. Cragen's gonna shoot us if we don't get back." He put his hand on the small of Olivia's back and pushed gently, nudging her toward the door.

Trevor nodded, Alex hugged them both, and they walked out of the courthouse, both taking the first deep breath they'd taken all day.

As he watched them leave, Trevor said, "Alex, I really do like you. It'll just take time to get over her."

"I know, Trev," Alex said. "You can tell me all about when you take me out to dinner. A very expensive dinner," she said, walking away from him. She turned over her shoulder and added, "With incredibly expensive champagne!"

* * *

"I don't remember DD-fives having this many pages," Olivia mumbled, struggling to keep her eyes open as she read the file in front of her. "How do you spell 'Benson?" she asked, holding the pen to the paper limply.

"Just sign it ' Stabler,' because you can spell that," Elliot said. "Wait! No, no, don't do that," he said, his eyes popping open.

Olivia yawned and said, "I'm not that tired, El. I know that!" Her head fell forward a bit and she jerked it back up, shook her head, and reached for her coffee.

"Are you two okay?" Cragen asked, watching Olivia and Elliot nearly pass out on their desks.

"Fine," Elliot said, drinking his ninth cup of coffee. "Kathy just dropped my kids off two days ago, so I'm, uh, not sleeping as much as I should. Gotta get up earlier than I'm used to and make breakfast, get them ready, blah, blah, blah."

"Okay," Cragen said, turning and pointing to Olivia. "What's her excuse?"

Olivia looked up, her eyelids heavy with her pen in her hand, and said, "Can I use, 'the dog ate my homework?"

"What?" Cragen asked, his brow furrowed.

"You wanted an excuse," she said, sipping her coffee. She yawned and added, "I haven't really been sleeping either, Cap. There's a new man in my life and, uh, he's a bit of a night owl."

Cragen smirked. "Well, the lucky bastard better let you get some sleep, Olivia. I need my best team to be at their best," he said. He turned, still smirking, and as he walked into his office, he knew it was time to really wake them up. He came back out holding something in his hands. "Hey, Stabler," he called to Elliot. "Do you like Elvis?"

Elliot's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah, I do, Cap. Why?"

"Found this in my office. I'm probably never gonna listen to it again, so, uh, here," Cragen said, tossing Elliot a CD.

Elliot caught it, looked at it, and his heart stopped. "Uh, thanks, Cap," he choked out.

Cragen smirked, watching his face, and said, "Sure."

"What is it, El?" Olivia asked, rubbing her eyes.

Elliot held up the CD case to her, and her eyes widened, too. "Jailhouse Rock," he said, his face contorted in worry.

"Shit," Olivia said, leaning back in her chair. She ran a hand through her hair and shrugged. She was speechless.

Cragen walked back into his office grinning. They were wide awake now.

**A/N: So does that mean Cragen knows? What is he gonna do about it? Next chap, family fun, and a conversation with Casey.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: How did Cragen know what their wedding song was? Olivia and Elliot spend a day with the kids, and run into Casey.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"This could just be a coincidence," Elliot assumed, running a hand down his face as he stared at the CD on his desk.

Olivia looked at him funny. "Oh, yeah, El. Cragen just happened to have a CD of the same Elvis song you drunkenly told the organist she could play when we got married. No big deal!"

Elliot chuckled. He loved seeing Olivia's feathers get ruffled, and not a great many things did it. He was intrigued, and he wanted to see how worked up she could get. "All right, Liv. Calm down, okay? So, maybe it's not a coincidence. Maybe he knows, and maybe this is our last night as partners. What then?" he asked with a smirk on his face. He instantly regretted it when he saw her reaction.

Olivia's eyes widened and her hands moved quickly. One to her mouth and one over her stomach. The thought of not being his partner anymore made her physically ill. "Oh, God. What the hell did we do, El? We...this is…wow, we really didn't think."

"Oh, no. Don't even…Liv, cut that out, right now, damn it!" Elliot spat in a harsh whisper. "If we actually thought about it, we wouldn't have done it, and we'd still be sitting here staring at each other when the other wasn't looking. If we thought about it, I'd still be feeling guilty about having an emotional affair with you and wondering what you look like naked, and you'd still be dumping every one of your dates because they're not me. We'd both be fucking miserable, Liv. Is that the life you wanna go back to?"

"I didn't say that, did I?" Olivia spat, just as harshly. "You know damn well I can't do this without you. You're like a fucking magnet! Every time I tried to leave, you pulled me back. And you fall the fuck to pieces if I'm gone for more than a day! You can't work with anyone else, either!"

"Well," Elliot said, sighing, "Like I said. Maybe this is just a coincidence. And if it's not, we just have to hope that Cragen's seen that we can still do our jobs. Right?"

Olivia took a breath and nodded, absently twirling her rings around her finger.

"And quit playing with those, you're gonna draw attention to your hand, and enough fucking people already know," Elliot chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"You're being awfully calm about this," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Liv," Elliot said, tossing his hands in the air, "Maybe being split up at work doesn't scare me as much as it used to, ya know? Before, being your partner was as good as it was gonna get for me. Before, all I had of you were the hours we'd spend on a call, or at these desks. Now, I get to come home to you every night, and that's my ring on your finger. One seriously outweighs the other."

Olivia smiled at him, shook her head, and sighed. "Kathy's an idiot," she said. "But I'm glad she's an idiot."

"What are you talking about?" Elliot asked, as he signed his DD-fives, smirking.

"She's an idiot because I'm sitting here looking at you, and listening to you, and thinking that you have to be the most perfect man in the universe, and she just walked away from you," Olivia said, shaking her head. "But I'm glad she's an idiot because if she didn't walk away…"

Elliot interrupted her, looking up at her, as he said, "Then I would have."

"Eventually," Olivia said, shrugging, "But Lord knows we would have been old enough to retire by then, and you wouldn't want me anymore."

Elliot narrowed his eyes at her and stuck his tongue out, playfully. "For the record, I will always want you," he added.

Olivia laughed and winked at him. "I love you," she mouthed to him.

Elliot laughed at her and said, "Might as well just say it, Liv. Cragen fucking knows. I love you, too."

Cragen, watching from the doorway to his office, did know. And he thanked his lucky stars that he followed them that night in an attempt to keep them from doing something stupid. As he listened and watched their playful banter, he knew that they'd made the smartest decision possible.

* * *

The alarm blared, annoyingly, at seven the next morning. Olivia grumbled and tried to bury her head in her pillow, but since her pillow was Elliot's chest, it wasn't really working for her. "Shoot it," she mumbled, trying to muffle the noise with Elliot's arm.

"Baby," Elliot laughed, "Come on, get up."

"It's Sunday," Olivia gruffed. "What the hell do I need to be awake before noon on a Sunday for?"

Elliot kissed her, nuzzled her nose, and said, "Church."

Olivia's eyes widened and she popped off of him a bit. "Are you…you're serious right now," she declared.

"Yeah," Elliot said, shoving her gently off of him. "I am, Liv. We have to take the kids to Church and breakfast, and then I think I want to take them shopping. Let them pick out stuff for their rooms."

"Church," Olivia said.

Elliot chuckled. "You're still stuck on that?"

"I'm probably going to burst into flames or something," she joked, getting out of the bed.

"Well," Elliot said, rubbing his neck, "You are part vampire, so you just might."

"Seriously," Olivia said with a light chuckle, "I don't even know what to wear to Church, El. I'm gonna be lost and confused and…"

Elliot silenced her with a soft kiss. "And relax. Just sit there and listen to the priest talk about God for an hour. I'm not asking you to believe in anything, and I'm not asking you to walk into the place and confess all of your sins."

"Well, glad for that," Olivia said. "The priest would have a fucking heart-attack."

Elliot laughed, kissing her again. "I'm just asking for you to come, as my wife, with our kids."

"Our kids," Olivia parroted, a sparkle in her eyes. "You just called them our kids."

Elliot nodded. "You're their mom now, Liv."

Olivia looked into his blue eyes, stunned, and tried to process how, exactly, this all happened.

The kids were up and ready in a few minutes, since they were with their father and Olivia instead of Kathy, who would give up trying to get them out of the house and let them sleep. They piled into the black SUV that Elliot only used when he had his kids, and they headed to Church. Olivia felt uncomfortable. Beyond uncomfortable. But if sitting uncomfortably for an hour every Sunday was the worst part about being Elliot's wife, then it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

"See? That wasn't so bad," Elliot said, holding Olivia's hand as they left.

Maureen chuckled. "You looked very confused, Liv."

"Uh, I was very confused, Mo," Olivia told her oldest step-daughter. "I think the only part of that whole thing I understood was when the priest said, 'Good morning."

The kids laughed and Elliot winked at her. "It'll get better," he told her as he started the car. "Thank you for coming, Liv. It means a lot to me," he said, kissing her quickly over the console.

"Where are we going for breakfast, Dad?" Dickie asked, leaning forward from his seat in the back.

"Sit back and put your seatbelt on," Olivia told him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Dickie gave her a look and did as he was told. "I think I'm gonna need therapy. Years of therapy," he said.

"What?" Elliot spat. "Why?"

"Forget it," Dicke said, laughing to himself. "So the question about the food?"

Elliot rolled his eyes and said, "Kendall's sound good to you guys?"

The kids all muttered sounds of agreement. And they watched as their father reached across the center console and grabbed Olivia's hand. Something they'd never seen him do with Kathy. "I think he got it right this time, guys," Kathleen leaned over and whispered to her siblings.

"Duh," Lizzie whispered, rolling her eyes. "Best decision he ever made. Right, Dickie?"

Dickie cleared his throat and whispered, "Yeah, but, uh, I'm not supposed to have a raging crush on my mother, guys. So it's gonna be a little weird for me."

Olivia and Elliot had to suppress their laughter. Olivia leaned over and whispered into Elliot's ear, "Should we tell them we can hear them?"

"After breakfast," Elliot said. "I will talk to Dickie after breakfast," he chuckled. They pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and climbed out of the car. The kids ran in first, each eager to be the one to get the table, and Elliot tugged lightly on Olivia's hand, slowing her down. "Come here," he said, pulling her toward him.

"What?" Olivia asked, furrowing her brow.

"I just, uh, I wanted to tell you that this doesn't feel weird to me," Elliot said, brushing her hair back. "I don't know what's been running through your head all morning, but I want you to know that I'm actually more comfortable and happy with you than I have ever been. The kids, clearly, love you. Some more than others," he chuckled. "My son has really good taste, I think."

Olivia laughed. "You wanna know what's been going through my head all morning? Besides, 'What the hell is that guy in the white collar talking about?'"

"Yeah," Elliot laughed, placing a kiss on Olivia's nose. "I do, honey."

"The same thing. This isn't weird. It should be, ya know? I should be freaking out right now. But, to be honest, this just feels…"

"Natural," Elliot said, finishing her sentence for her.

Olivia nodded and kissed him, soundly, on the lips. "Feed me," she said, pulling him through the doors of the diner.

Elliot laughed, following her, and said, "If all I need to do to keep you happy is feed you, then I think we're gonna be okay."

"Oh, honey. That's not all you have to do," Olivia said, giving him a slightly seductive glance.

"Well, I think we already know that _that_ isn't gonna be a problem," Elliot said, smirking and clearing his throat. "Do you see the kids?"

Olivia scanned the tables and pointed. "There," she said, leading Elliot toward the back where the kids had chosen to sit. "Katie, honey, elbows off the table," she said as she sat.

Kathleen instantly moved her arms and handed her father a menu.

"Katie," Elliot said, "I'm very proud of you."

"For what?" Kathleen asked,looking stunned. "I didn't do anything."

"Liv only had to tell you once and you listened to her. You used to fight with Kathy about it, using some argument about your arms being tired." Elliot gave a flat expression to his daughter and shook his head.

The table laughed, then Kathleen said, "Well, Dad, I didn't really like, uh, can I call her Kathy? And also, Liv has a wicked temper and a gun. She's you with boobs."

"Could we not talk about Mom's boobs?" Dickie groaned.

Olivia gasped and grabbed Elliot's hand. Dickie just called her "Mom," and that actually scared her a bit. She couldn't get used to the kids really thinking of her as their mother; she'd been expecting them to be angry at her, or at least a little apprehensive.

Elliot squeezed her hand gently, his own heart swelling. His children loved her, and although this was unexpected and shocking, they were accepting her as his wife. As their mother.

"Hey, Dad," Maureen said, looking at someone across the restaurant, "Why is that lady staring at us?"

Kathleen looked up from her menu and said, "I think that's Miss Novak."

Olivia's head snapped toward the table at which her step-daughters were looking, and she tried to give Casey a smile. What she got in return was a shake of the head and a scowl. "I wish I knew what her problem was," Olivia said, softly.

"I'm gonna go find out," Elliot said, rising out of his chair.

Olivia pulled back on his hand, "No," she said. "Sit down, El. You'll only make it worse."

Dickie and Lizzie looked at each other, and before their father or Olivia could say anything, they were out of their seats and halfway over to Casey's table.

"Excuse me," Lizzie said, "Miss Novak?"

Casey looked at Lizze and smiled. "Hi, there, Lizzie. You remember me?"

"Yeah," Lizzie said. "My brother and I wanna know why you're mad at our parents."

Dickie folded his arms, looking like a mini-Elliot, and said, "You know you made my mother cry."

"Um," Casey muttered, looking nervously at the other people at her table. "This is Elizabeth and Richard Stabler, Detective Stabler's kids," she explained to the other attorneys. She looked back at the kids and said, "I don't even talk to your mother, so how I made Kathy cry is beyond…"

"Not Kathy!" Lizzie spat, rolling her eyes.

"Are you telling me…did you just refer to Olivia as your mother?" Casey asked, furrowing her brow. She watched the twins nod, and she laughed in an irritated manner, shaking her head. "Unbelievable," she said. "I'm not mad at your mother, guys," she told them. "I'm mad at your father."

Dickie raised his eyebrow, in a very Stabler-like way, and asked, "Why?"

"God, you look like your father," Casey said, in awe. "And he knows why. Just tell him that he broke a very big promise to someone by doing what he did, and he needs to prove to me that what he did wasn't a mistake. Tell him that I know why he did it, and I'm upset."

"You know, you talk like a lawyer even when you're not at work," Lizzie said, tilting her head.

Casey looked at her table of colleagues, who were all laughing, and then back at the kids. "He'll know what you're talking about. Just, uh, go."

Dickie and Lizzie looked at each other, shrugged, and headed back to their table. They took their seats, then Dickie looked at his father. "Dad, I look like you, apparently."

"You do, sweetie," Olivia said. "You definitely got your father's good looks."

Dickie looked at Olivia for a moment, laughed nervously, and took a long sip of his water.

Lizzie laughed at her brother , then said, "Dad, she told us to tell you that you broke a very big promise to someone. That's why she's mad."

"She thinks you made a mistake, and she wants you to prove that it wasn't," Dickie added after he'd calmed down.

"Oh!" Lizzie said, looking at her father, "She also said she knows why you did it, but she never said what we were talking about, so I'm very confused."

Elliot ran a hand down his face, closing his eyes, and said, "Shit."

"What?" Olivia asked, turning to face him. "What is it?"

Elliot shook his head and turned to her, whispering, "She thought…for a while, she thought that we were having an affair. I told her we weren't and that the only way I could probably even get you to consider being with me is if I got you drunk enough."

"Oh, my God," Olivia said, her head dropping to Elliot's shoulder.

"I was kidding!" Elliot said, surprised. "She thought I was serious. She made me promise that if anything ever happened between us, I'd tell her, and I told her, because I was still fucking kidding, that alcohol wouldn't be involved. Liv, she probably thinks I got you drunk on purpose."

Olivia chuckled, nuzzling his nose. "Ya know what, El? If she thinks you're capable of doing that, if she honestly believes you would do that to me, or that I would let you, then she doesn't really know us. Does she?"

"Not really," Elliot said with a light laugh of his own. "No." He kissed her and ran his hand through her hair as the waiter walked up to the table.

Casey, watching from her own table, saw Olivia and Elliot smiling and kissing. She watched them with the kids, who seemed completely happy. She decided, then and there, that they needed a wake-up call. No way was she gonna stand by and let Olivia think that the mess she got herself into was gonna be easy.

**A/N: What's Casey's real problem? What is she gonna do? And when they decide to confront Cragen, his reaction stuns them. NEXT! If you want it…**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: What's Casey's real deal? How will Cragen react when Elliot talks to him?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"Benson," Olivia mumbled sleepily into her phone. Her eyes widened and she popped up off of Elliot's chest. "I'm sorry, who? Oh, my God. Hi. Good, good. How did you....oh, she did, huh? Well, did she tell you that I'm married? Happily married. I have kids. Yeah, I know. Four. More on the way, eventually. I don't know what she was thinking. Yeah, me, too." She hung up and tossed the phone back onto the endtable.

"Who was that, baby?" Elliot asked, skimming his hands down her back.

"That," Olivia said, still shocked, "Was Vinnie Santillo. I went out with him in high school."

Elliot's eyes popped open and his grip on Olivia tightened. "What the hell did he want?"

"Calm down, El," Olivia laughed. "He got my number from Casey. He ran into her at some convention. He's a lawyer. And while she neglected to tell him that I'm married, she told him that I would love to have dinner with him."

"If I kill Casey, would you care?" Elliot said, with grave seriousness in his voice, looking intently into Olivia's eyes.

Olivia chuckled. "Yes, but only because you'd be arrested, booked on murder charges, and..."

"I'll plead temporary insanity, or tell them it was a case of extreme emotional disturbance," Elliot laughed, kissing Olivia. "Why the hell did he call you at two in the morning?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Casey told him I think it's romantic when guys wake me up."

Elliot smirked. "Well, in that case, wake up, Liv," he said, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. He pulled her up higher and moved his hands lower, caressing her. "We've got three hours to kill before we have to get out of bed, and since we're both awake..."

"You, Mister Stabler, are a horny bastard," Olivia chuckled, moving her body over his.

"Only because of you, Misses Stabler," Elliot said to her, pushing up into her. "Oh, God, baby," he breathed as he filled her. He looked up into her wide, dark eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, pulling out and pushing back in.

Olivia's eyes rolled back as she whispered, "God, El, for what?"

"Marrying me," he said, grabbing her hips. "_Staying_ married to me. Being my wife, Liv. Thank you for not freaking out and for giving this a real shot."

Olivia bent her head forward to kiss him and looked down at him, smiling. "El, you wouldn't let me freak out. I tried," she said with a chuckle, beginning to move and roll into him. "I'm happy I married you, El. I love you, baby."

Elliot began to hold her still as he bucked up into her. He tilted his head up, kissed her, and said, "I love you, too, Liv." He made love to his wife, slowly and passionately, thanking God that Olivia loved him.

* * *

"Will you knock it off?" Olivia barked, swatting Elliot's hand away from her forehead. "That hurts," she said, glaring at him.

"It's gonna hurt, Liv," Elliot spat back. "You have a gash on your forehead, and I'm trying to clean it and stop the bleeding. So sit there, stay still, and shut up."

Olivia rolled her eyes and let her partner hold the peroxide soaked napkin to her wound.

"Is there a reason Fin called me out of a...what the hell happened?" Casey yelled, barreling into the squadroom.

"My genius partner ran through a construction site," Elliot said, "Trying to catch the asshole we've got in the interrogation room."

Casey blinked, looking at the gushing cut on Olivia's head. "Did she catch him?"

Elliot and Olivia looked at her, blankly. "He's in the interrogation room, Casey," Olivia said, dryly. "What do you think?"

"How did you get that cut, then? Shouldn't your partner be watching your back? Or is someone's personal life interfering with...

"He threw a screwdriver at me, Novak," Olivia interrupted. "It didn't really phase me, and I kept running until I grabbed him. Elliot was right next to me the entire time."

Elliot tossed the bloody napkin into the bin, put a band-aid on Olivia's cut, then turned to face Casey. "Speaking of personal lives, get one of your own and stay the hell out of Olivia's! And mine! Where do you get off giving her number to..."

"He called?" Casey asked, interjecting, with a smirk. "Benson, are you gonna go out with him?"

Olivia scoffed. "No!" she yelled. "Casey, I'm happy. I know part of you can't understand that, but I'm deliriously happy." She got off of her desk and walked over to Casey, dropping her voice to a whisper. "And for your information, Elliot didn't get me drunk, I got myself drunk. He was drinking, too, so we were both trashed. He would never, ever, do anything like that to me, or anyone else. I don't know how could think...I'm sorry you weren't there, and I'm sorry if you never got over your little crush on him, but you and Fin seem pretty damn happy, so..."

"Wow," Casey interrupted. "You're really serious? You're defending what you did?"

"What I did, Casey, was finally confront my feelings and do something I've wanted to do for years," Olivia stated. "I finally said, 'fuck it,' and made myself happy. We both did. This isn't going away, Casey, so either get over it and move on, or from here on out this, you and me, is a strictly professional relationship."

Casey's jaw dropped. "Shit," she gasped. "You want it? You got it," she said, turning toward the interrogation room. "Detective Benson, Detective Stabler," she prompted. "After you."

Olivia chuckled viciously and sent a glance at Elliot. This was war, now, and Casey was in for one hell of a fight. They stormed into the interrogation room, eager to yell and throw things. Casey stayed in the pit, with Cragen, and watched the dup work their interrogative magic. She was having a hard time deciding who got her more excited, him or her.

* * *

"Hey, uh, Cap?" Elliot asked, following Cragen and Casey out of the pit.

"Yeah?" Cragen answered gruffly.

"Can I , uh, talk to you for a second?" Elliot asked, cracking his knuckles.

Cragen smirked. He knew what this was gonna be about. "Sure, step into my office."

Elliot took a deep breath and let it out as he sat in one of the leather chairs in front of Cragen's desk. He was silent. Barely breathing.

"You did want to talk, right, Stabler?" Cragen asked, folding his arms. "I don't hear talking."

"Yeah, uh, I'm just trying to figure out how to tell you this without you getting mad and handing me transfer papers," Elliot said, running a hand over his face. His left hand.

Cragen chuckled. He knew that Elliot was never nervous unless it was about Olivia. "Just say it, Stabler."

"Well, uh, Cap, when we were in Vegas," Elliot began, taking another deep breath, "Liv and I...me and Liv...Olivia and I..."

"Stabler!" Cragen barked, "What?"

"We got married," Elliot spat out quickly. "We got drunk, and we got married, but Cap, I love her, and we're not..."

"Stop talking," Cragen said, holding up his hand. "I know, Elliot. I was there, and you two really should have told me on the plane home. It would have saved you all a lot of trouble, and I could have given you this a long time ago," he told Elliot, pulling a thick envelope out of his desk. He handed it to Elliot and smiled.

Elliot took the envelope and looked at Cragen. "What...you were there?"

"You needed witnesses," Cragen said, tilting his head. "Elliot, I knew what you were going to do the second you two left the bar, and as your captain, I felt I needed to look out for you. Also, as your friend, I needed to be there."

"Cap, I..." Elliot paused. He struggled for the words as he opened the envelope. "Cap! this is...I mean, I can't...when did you..."

"A week after you two met," Cragen said, leaning up against his desk. "I put fifty bucks in a separate account, every day, with the knowledeg that you'd need it. But when you two went to see Elvis, I stopped, figuring the waiting was over. See, Elliot, I knew, as any good detective would have, that you two would end up together."

Elliot flipped through the papers and held the money-order up. "Seventy-three thousand dollars? Cap, we can't take this."

"You can," Cragen interrupted. "And you will. The bride's parents are supposed to pay for the wedding. I'm the closest she has to a father, and she's the closest I've got to a daughter, so that's what it's for, Stabler."

Elliot felt the tears stinging at his eyes. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "We're already..."

"No," Cragen said, stopping him. "You're married, legally, but it's not real until you see her walk down that aisle. It's not official until your kids are all gussied up, standing there with you. And you're not married until you can remember every single detail, down to what color the priest's eyes were, because it all happened in slow-motion and seared itself into your brain. You two deserve a real wedding, and I'm giving it to you."

Elliot, stunned, did the only thing someone in his position could do. He hugged his captain. "Thank you," he said, trying not to cry.

"You're welcome, son," Cragen said, hugging him back.

"Oh," Elliot gasped. "Cap! What about I.A..."

"You don't need to worry about them," Cragen said, cutting him off. "The chief is on your side, isn't he? He thinks this is brilliant. Wants the whole damn city to know that two SVU detectives were able to have a normal, happy, romantic relationship. I.A.B won't do anything, as long as you can keep work and your relationship separate."

Elliot nodded. "You know we can," he said with a smirk. He turned to leave, but Cragen stopped him.

"Oh, and Elliot," Cragen said, smirking, "Don't drink before this one, huh?"

"No, Sir," Elliot laughed. "I wanna really be there for this," he said, holding up the envelope. "Thank you, really. You didn't have to do this."

"I did, Elliot," Cragen replied, "I really did." And as he watched Elliot leave the office, he sighed, hoping he would never have to tell Olivia the reason why.

**A/N: Oooh, Cragen's keeping a secret of his own! And what is up Casey's butt? Wanna know? **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Olivia reacts to Cragen's gift, a night at the precinct gets heated, and Casey reveals two incredibly big secrets, explaining why she just can not accept that Olivia and Elliot are married.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns the narrative, dialogue and plot of this story.**

"Are you serious?" Olivia asked, gasping for air as Elliot told her what Cragen had done for them. "That's insane! We can't take this," she said, handing Elliot the envelope.

"That's what I said, baby," Elliot said, taking the money-order out of her hands. "But then he told me that it was the bride's parents' responsibility and…"

Olivia gasped, again, and interrupted Elliot. "He's not my father, El. This isn't…I mean he didn't have to…"

"I know," Elliot said, running his hands up and down her arms. "I know. But he did, and he won't take it back, and he expects us to have this huge wedding. So, what are we gonna do about it?"

Olivia looked up, into his eyes, and said, "Plan a huge wedding, I guess."

Elliot chuckled and kissed her. "We're really gonna do this, then? The right way?"

"I didn't think we got it wrong before, El," Olivia whispered as she kissed him again. "But yes, we are."

"Good," Elliot said. "There's something I've been meaning to do, then, and I need to get a couple of things before I do it. Cover for me?"

"Don't I always?" Olivia joked. She kissed him on the cheek and watched him run out of the sqaudroom, trying not to let her curiosity get the best of her.

* * *

By the time he got back, the bullpen was a madhouse. Phones were ringing off the hook, uniformed officers were walking in and out, Olivia was at the whiteboard with a marker in her hand and its cap in her mouth.

"What the hell did I miss? I was only gone for a few minutes!" Elliot yelled into the noisy room.

Fin looked up at him, covering the receiver of his phone with his hand. "Kidnapping, man. Mother was just raped and beaten and when she woke up, her daughter was missing."

"Shit," Elliot spat, walking over to the whiteboard. "What do we have so far, Liv?"

Olivia, with the cap in her mouth, said, "Guy was abow fix fee, wore a kee machs, dwove a white wan, was…"

Elliot pulled the cap out of her mouth and chuckled. "Say it again?"

Olivia chuckled and rolled her eyes. "The guy was about six-three, he wore a ski mask. He drove a white van with New York plates and was hard to understand. He had an accent."

"So that narrows it down to, oh, a third of the men in this city," Elliot said, shaking his head.

"We're gonna be here for a while," Olivia spat, crossing her arms.

Elliot shook his head. He had plans for tonight, and apparently, now, they'd have to be carried out in the cribs.

Four hours later, the phones had finally stopped ringing, the tips had stopped coming in, and they'd exhausted every possible lead. "I feel like we've just been on a wild goose chase, and there were never any geese," Munch said, yawning.

"That's what a wild goose chase is, Munch," Olivia spat, her head on her desk.

"Why don't you two go grab a nap, huh?" Fin suggested to Elliot, with a wink. "We'll hold down the fort."

"Thanks, man," Elliot said, winking back at Fin. "Liv? Come on, Benson. Up the stairs."

Olivia mumbled something unintelligible, rising to her feet.

"What was that?" Elliot asked, staying close to her.

"Stabler," Olivia said. "You called me 'Benson, but it's Stabler," she told him.

"Well, Liv, professionally, you're still Benson," Elliot said with a laugh. "You're really tired, huh?"

Olivia nodded and yawned. "What gave it away?"

"Well, uh, could you wake up? Just for a minute?" Elliot asked, swinging the door to the cribs open.

Olivia gasped as she looked around. There was a bottle of wine, or champagne, she couldn't tell, sitting in a bucket of ice. The place was lit by jarred candles, lavender scented, and the crib farthest from the door was covered in rose petals, with two whole roses crossed on its pillow. "What is all this?" she asked, her hand over her heart.

Elliot reached for her hand, took it, and led her to the rose covered bed. "This is what was supposed to happen. In my mind, anyway, how I'd planned doing this." He sat on the bed, pulled her next to him, and looked her in the eyes. He was nervous, though he shouldn't have been. "Liv, I know I don't need to tell you how much I love you, how much I have loved you for years, but I'm going to," he told her, clearing his throat. "Olivia Benson," he said, still peering into her eyes, "The day we met, I knew I was lost to you forever. I wasn't in love with you, I was infatuated with you. I became overprotective and possessive of something that wasn't mine, but it is now, and I wanna keep it that way." He scooted off the bed, and got down on one knee in front of her, holding her left hand tightly in his. "I'm asking you, Liv, now that I'm completely sober, thinking clearly, and able to remember it all in the morning, to be my wife. Olivia Benson, will you marry me? Again?"

Olivia had warm tears slowly dripping down her cheeks. She clutched his hands in hers and pulled him back up to the bed, kissed him, and said, "Yes, you silly, wonderful, gorgeous, amazing man."

Elliot sniffled, crying himself, and laughed. "Oh, thank God," he said, finally breathing. "Thout the lack of alcohol would make you change your mind." He kissed her, penetrating her very soul, as he wrapped himself around her. He deepened the kiss even more as he leaned into her, forcing her down on the bed. His left hand snaked under her blouse, flicking at the bra-clasp at her back. It snapped open and he chuckled evilly. "Got you right where I want you now, baby," he said, smirking against her lips.

"And where is that?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow and gasping slightly as he made quick work of her shirt, tossing it off of her along with her bra.

"With me," Elliot said, as if it was the obvious answer. "Right here, in my arms, Liv. Forever. That's where you belong."

Olivia grinned as she threw his shirt to the floor and said, "Damn right it is, El."

* * *

"Hey, Case," Fin said, watching his fiancée stroll into the bullpen. "What are you doin' here?"

"I came to talk to Olivia," Casey said, gruffly. "Where is she?"

Fin smirked and looked upwards. "In the cribs. Elliot's poppin' the question."

"Aren't they already married?" Munch asked, sipping the sludge he called coffee.

"Yeah," Fin said, "But Stabler wants to do things right this time, now that they're planning an actual wedding."

"What?" Casey asked harshly. "They're doing what?"

Fin turned to her. "Case, babe, relax, girl. They're not gonna pick a date anywhere near ours."

"That's not what…excuse me," Casey huffed, then she turned on her heels and bolted up the stairs. Not bothering to knock, she turned the knob, but it was locked. She pounded on the door. "Benson! Stabler," she yelled.

"Oh, God," Olivia moaned, both in pleasure and aggravation. "What the fuck does she want? Oh, baby, don't stop," she groaned.

"Not gonna," Elliot mumbled as he licked at her neck, thrusting in and out of her. "Go away, Novak!" he yelled at the door.

"This is important, Stabler!" Casey boomed. "Open the damn door!"

Elliot chuckled. "Five minutes!" he shouted. He looked down at Olivia and said, "Or, ya know, twenty-five. Whatever."

Olivia laughed, then moaned, then bit his shoulder to keep from screaming.

"Fuck, baby," Elliot seethed. "I've got more scars from you then I do from getting injured in the line of duty."

"And you fucking love it," Olivia moaned, sinking her teeth into his skin again as he pummeled into her deeply.

"Fuck yeah, I do," Elliot confirmed with a chuckle. He felt her tightening around her and he heard Casey banging on the door again. He had to hurry this up, even though he didn't want to. "You're gonna need to bite baby," he told her. "Hard."

"Why?" Olivia groaned. She got her answer when Elliot worked his hand between their bodies and vigorously began stroking and pressing on her clit. He thrust harder, faster, and deeper. Olivia gasped and instead of biting him, she pulled his head down and kissed him, screaming into his mouth as she clenched and came around him.

"Oh, shit, baby," Elliot grunted, shooting inside of her.

They took a moment to enjoy their post-coital snuggle, then heard the banging on the door. "God damn it, you two, you're already fucking married, you don't have to get all weepy and emotional because he asked you a dumb question he already had the answer to, Benson. Open. The. Door!

Olivia, panting, pushed Elliot gently off of her and quickly got dressed. Elliot did the same, and kissed Olivia, as he pulled the door open.

"Finally," Casey spat, glaring at them. "One wedding wasn't enough? Now you have to actually make us all sit there and watch you two profess your undying love for each other?"

Olivia ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, Casey. That's exactly what we're doing. We are getting married, again, just to make our friends suffer. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want the real wedding? I'm doing this for me, Case. We're doing this, for us, so if you don't support us then you don't have to come. Hell, we won't even fucking tell you when it is!"

Casey sighed. "Damn it, don't you understand? You two just can't be married! Not yet, anyway!"

"Why the hell not?" Elliot fumed. "This is what we have both wanted, Novak, for a very long time. I thought you were our friend! You're supposed to…"

"I want to sleep with you," Casey interrupted. "Before I married Fin. Just to get it out of my system. It's been this constant, nagging, desire. The years that I've known you, I couldn't help but wondering what you were like in bed."

"Uh," Elliot muttered. "Me or Liv? Casey, you're looking at both of us."

"Because, Stabler," Casey began, "I'm talking to both of you. Both of you! Before, there was at least a slight possibility I could get you both into bed, you were both single, and Lord knows you were both sexually starved. But now…"

Olivia coughed. "What?" she asked, clutching tightly to Elliot.

"Yeah," Casey said, dropping her eyes. "So, now you know. I had to tell you, because Olivia, you're my best friend, and Stabler, you're her best friend. We need to get along, I need to get over this, and you need to be happy. I need to be happy that you're happy."

"I'm not gonna sleep with you," Elliot said, flatly. "Even if I wasn't married, if I wasn't with Liv, I wouldn't. I would never do that to Fin, and I can not believe you would, either."

Casey sighed. "I couldn't believe it either, until it became all I could think about."

"Well, uh," Olivia said, feeling very uncomfortable, "Thanks for telling me. Us. Please stop thinking about me naked."

"Kinda hard," Casey said.

"Yeah," Elliot breathed, nodding. "It really is."

Olivia looked at Elliot and smirked. "You can think about it all you want," she said through a closed-mouth smile. "But you," she said, turning to Casey, "You need to stop. You're getting married, to someone Elliot and I care very much about, and if he knew you had this crazy desire to sleep with both of us, he'd be crushed. We're not gonna have any part in hurting him." Olivia blinked and squeezed Elliot's hand tighter. "And I, unfortunately for you, have no desire to sleep with you."

"You two are…really amazing," Casey sighed.

"Yeah," they heard a voice say from the doorway. "They are."

Casey turned, shocked, and gasped, "Fin!"

"Save it," Fin spat. "Guys, we got a hit on the guys ATM card. We gotta go." He walked away, huffing. Olivia and Elliot looked nervously at Casey, then followed Fin down the stairs.

Casey stared at the door for a moment, realizing that the only person who got a wake-up-call from her, was herself.

**A/N: How will Fin react when the case is over? What will Olivia and Elliot plan for their wedding? And who else will not be so accepting of the news of their nuptials? Wanna know? Want the next chappy? Review, please?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Relaxing after the case is closed, someone else isn't too happy for Mr. and Mrs. Stabler, and the revelation of a pretty big secret.**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, the characters are not mine. Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, me, owns the story: plot, narrative, idea, dialogue and the computer I wrote it on.**

"…there's no 'f' in 'cod,' and the man looks at her and says, 'Thank God, you finally get it!" Munch cracked, whooping at his own punch-line.

"Oh!" Alex yelled. "No 'effin' cod! I get it!" she said, laughing now.

Olivia and Elliot looked at each other, raising an eyebrow, then looked at their friends. "Guess you have to be drunk to think it's funny," Olivia offered.

"Nope," Trevor said, shaking his head. "I'm wasted, and I thought that joke was shit. Hey, where are Kin and Facey?"

Elliot snickered. "Fin and Casey?" he asked, pressing his lips together.

"Yeah, Kin and Facey," Trevor said, taking another shot. "They were invited. I mean, your whole damn unit was invited, I'm only here because I'm her foybriend!" he slurred, pointing to Alex.

"Wow, and to think I could be with a prize like him instead of you," Olivia whispered to Elliot.

"Well, baby, he was your 'foybriend' for a little while," Elliot said, patting her on the knee. Then he wrapped his arms around her. "How the hell did you put up with..."

"We can't really talk, ya know," Olivia chuckled, interrupting him. "We got drunk and you became my 'bushand!"

Elliot chuckled, tightening his grip on Olivia. "Best drunken night of my life." He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in for a sweet but deep kiss.

"Hey," Munch yelled. "You two shouldn't be doing that! You're partners. Cragen'll…oh, wait. Never mind. Kiss on, married people!"

Olivia smirked as she watched Munch take another swig of his drink. "Yeah, Munch, keep drinking, pal."

"Benson, why aren't you and your lawfully wedded husband drinking?" Alex asked, holding up a small glass. "We closed one of the hardest, highest-profile cases we've ever had. You two are getting, like, the key to the city or some shit. Knock back a few and celebrate!"

"Oh, no," Olivia said with a laugh. "Alcohol, me, and Elliot do not mesh well. Last time we woke up married. If we drink tonight, I'll wake up pregnant."

Elliot stilled, shot her look, then threw his hand in the air and shouted, "Excuse me! I need two Jack and cokes over here!"

Fin walked over to their table just in time to see Olivia smack Elliot in the arm. "Trouble in paradise?" he asked, sitting.

"No, man," Elliot said, chuckling. "The wife can't take a joke."

"Can, too, but I know you weren't joking!" Olivia said, her eyes still wide, her mouth still frozen in an impish grin.

Elliot shrugged. "We should have a couple of kids, Liv," he said. "You want 'em, I want 'em, I don't see a problem."

Olivia shook her head and chuckled as the waitress set her drink in front of her. "I love you," she said to Elliot, grabbing his hand.

"I love you, too, baby," Elliot said, winking at her, giving her hand a squeeze. "Hey, bro, where's Casey?" he asked Fin, leaning forward.

"Don't know," Fin said, shrugging. "Don't care," he added. He reached over and grabbed the glass from Munch, took a sip, and gave it back.

"Are we missing something?" Olivia asked, her face screwing up in confusion.

Fin nodded. "She left. We, uh, got into it tonight. I asked her why the fuck she wanted to sleep with my two best friends, and she started tellin' me about how it had nothing to do with me not being good enough, it was just an itch she's always wanted to scratch."

Elliot tensed up. "Uh, look, Fin, I never encouraged…"

"I know you didn't, man," Fin said, nodding. He raised a hand and nodded at the bartender, asking for his usual. "As long as I've known you, the only legal briefs you were trying to get into were Baby-Girl's."

Olivia snorted. "Nice metaphor," she said, sipping her drink.

"Thanks," Fin said with a wink. "I don't blame either of you. Casey just had this fantasy, ya know? A threesome that didn't include me, and while it would be fuckin' hot, she should have changed her damn mind about it when we got serious. I can see her still wanting Olivia, but the fact that she's still got a thing for you, Elliot, that pisses me off."

"It doesn't piss you off that your fiancée wants to sleep with my wife?" Elliot asked, stunned.

Fin shook his head as his drink was brought to him. "Man, up until I got serious with Casey, I wanted to sleep with your wife."

Olivia cleared her throat. "I've talked to hundreds of victims, serial rapists, murderers, and child molesters, yet this conversation is making me uncomfortable."

Fin and Elliot laughed. "Sorry, Baby-Girl," Fin said.

"Liv, you really don't know how beautiful and sexy you are," Elliot cooed into her ear. "Every man you've ever met has probably had thoughts about sleeping with you. Even Munch, over there."

"Yeah," Munch said, proving he was still conscious. "You look real good in a spacesuit, Benson," he said, chuckling.

Fin furrowed his brow and smirked at his partner. "Fuck, man, even your fantasies are fuckin' conspiracies."

"And stop taking my wife into space!" Elliot spat, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, really fucking uncomfortable," Olivia said, hiding her face in Elliot's chest.

Elliot chuckled and held her close, kissing her forehead. "Can we get back to the point, here?" he asked, nodding to Fin.

Fin sighed. "She couldn't understand why I was upset. She told me I had no reason to be mad, or hurt, because it wasn't like it was gonna happen now. She just didn't get it. So I told her to get out, and come back when she fuckin' figured it out." He took a swig of his beer and looked down into the glass. "When you marry someone, man, it's supposed to be because they_ are _your fantasy. They're supposed to be the object of every fuckin' fantasy you have. You marry someone because you never even think about bein' with anyone else, ever, right?"

Elliot and Olivia looked into each other's eyes, smiled, and kissed. His words hit home for them. Elliot turned back to his friend and said, "Right, man. That's exactly right."

"Sorry I'm late," Melinda said, appearing next to their table. "I'm not staying. This is work related, so Detectives, we have a problem."

"And we have phones," Munch said, raising his glass. "To technology!" he cheered, knocking back his drink.

"Drunk mother fucker," Fin scoffed. "What is it, Mel?"

Melinda held in a laugh, then held out a file. "The blood from the tee-shirt you were wearing, Olivia, should have only had two samples on it. Yours and the vic's. That's why we were using it as the control."

"Right," Olivia said, her eyes narrowing. "The perp shot her, I ran to her, he shot again, grazed me. Two people, two samples."

Melinda shook her head. "Yeah, that's what I thought, too. We ran samples through the system, trying to find out who she is, expecting only you and her to come back."

"This…this can't be right," Olivia said, looking down at the file. "I mean, obviously…it couldn't be…"

"Liv, baby, what?" Elliot asked, taking the file out of her hands.

"Mel," Fin said, "What's this about?"

Melinda sighed. "One of them, either Olivia or the victim, is related to your captain. One of those samples had enough genetic markers in common with Don Cragen to score a hit. Meaning, he's a close male relative. A brother, an uncle, or a father."

"Cragen's got a kid?" Munch asked, shocked, "And that kid is our Jane Doe, is that what you're telling us?"

"No," Olivia said, stunned. "Munch, the second kidnapping victim last night was Chinese."

Elliot looked at Olivia, his eyes warm, and he reached out a hand to cup her chin. He turned her face toward her, seeing the tears in her eyes, and he searched for the feeling behind them. "Liv? Baby? Say something."

"Well," Olivia said, sniffling, refusing to cry until she was sure there was something to cry about, "I know he's not my brother."

* * *

Olivia and Elliot stormed into the bullpen, knowing full well that Cragen was still there. Elliot was about to knock on the man's door when it opened.

"Oh, Elliot, what are you doing back here?" Cragen asked. "You have the weekend off. So do you, Olivia. This case was tough on you."

"You have no idea," Olivia said, handing him the file. "Either you left a very confused woman in China after a very wrong one-night-stand, or my entire life has been a lie! Which is it?

Cragen read through the file and sighed. "Neither, Olivia," he said, shaking his head. "I was hoping I'd never have to tell you this. I was hoping you'd just…shit."

"Don, just tell her!" Elliot said, sounding more like he was talking to a perp than his captain.

Cragen looked at Elliot with a flash of fear in his eyes. "I'm going to, Elliot. Olivia," he said, sighing again, struggling to look her in the eyes, "Your mother knew who the man who raped her was. So did I, almost as soon as it happened. The reason there aren't any fives on it, the reason she never told you, is because he was killed in a car accident before he could be brought in and interrogated. He never faced those charges."

Olivia looked confused. "So then…you're not my…"

"No, I'm not," Cragen interrupted. "But I knew your mother, Olivia," he continued. "I was in love with her, and my brother hated me for it."

"You have a brother?" Elliot asked, folding his arms around Olivia.

"Can I finish, please?" Cragen asked, huffing. "After it happened, your mom was so traumatized and horrified, that she broke up with me, while I was sitting in the hospital with her, and told me she never wanted to see me again. I went home and told my brother, Paul, I knew it was him, and that I was gonna tell the cops. He drove off of a cliff a week later, out of guilt. He would have gotten off, anyway, Olivia. He would have made the jury believe that your mother was lying, and he would have made her look like a fool in front of everyone, and he knew he destroyed my life, as well as hers."

"So you're my uncle," Olivia said, trying to breathe, feeling like she'd been ran over by a steamroller.

Cragen nodded, a tear falling from his left eye. "She, uh, came in here a month later to tell me she was pregnant, and that it was his, but that she still didn't want to have anything to do with me. God, she didn't know that I would have stayed with her, that I would have taken care of you."

"You could have…you should have told me," Olivia said, pulling herself out of Elliot's hold.

"Oh, yeah, that would have been a great first day at work," Cragen said, sniffling. "Elliot, this is your new partner, my niece, Olivia Benson."

"You've had plenty of time to explain this to me!" Olivia yelled.

Cragen nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry, but I didn't know how you'd react, and I didn't…Olivia, you're the closet thing I have to a daughter, and if you knew the truth, I knew you'd hate me, and I don't want to lose you."

"You're right," Olivia said, turning her back on him. "I am the closet thing you have to daughter." She looked up at Elliot, who knew what she was thinking and nodded with a smile, and then she turned and threw her arms around her captain. "What's closer than a niece?"

"You're…not mad at me?" Cragen asked, shocked, as he hugged her to him tightly.

Olivia scoffed. "Oh, I'm pissed, Cap," she said. "But I'm also really happy that you're…family." She pulled away from him and looked at him. "Really family."

"Speaking of family," an annoyed voice said from the bullpen doorway, "I'd like mine back."

Elliot, Olivia, and Cragen turned their heads toward the voice. Olivia gasped, Cragen looked at Elliot, and Elliot did the only thing he could do.

He laughed.

"Kathy, you always did have a fucked up sense of humor," Elliot said, chuckling.

"How is this funny?" Kathy asked. "I'm swallowing my pride, coming back here and admitting I made a mistake. And you're laughing at me?"

Elliot nodded. "Oh, hell yeah, I am. You're fucking kidding, right? You leave, we get divorced, then you willingly give me the kids. You can't possibly think I want to have anything to do with you! Oh! While you're here, just so you know there's no way on God's green earth I could ever want you back, there's someone I want you to meet, Kathy." He took Olivia's hand and walked her over to the middle of the bullpen. "Kathy, I want you to meet..."

"I know who Olivia is, Elliot," Kathy said, rolling her eyes.

"No, uh, I was gonna introduce you to my wife," Elliot said, smirking.

Kathy's face fell. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she did neither. She simply turned and walked out of the squadroom, cursing herself for giving him too much time. Her plan didn't work. It backfired completely. As she got back into her car, she sighed, thinking. "My own damn fault," she mused. "Better a friend than nothing, right?" she asked herself before turning the key and driving away. She smirked, realizing she knew just how she'd congratulate them.

**A/N: Is Kathy gonna ask questions? Is she gonna be nice or evil? Is Casey gonna go back to Fin? And a Sunday stroll through the city causes Olivia and Elliot to break every rule in the wedding prep handbook. How? Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: How do you begin to plan a wedding, when you're already married? None of the rules apply.**

**DISCLAIMER: After checking my bank statements, it became clear that I do not own SVU or its characters. Dick Wolf does. However, TStabler© does own this story and its properties. **

Olivia rolled her head and moaned softly as someone, someone with amazingly soft lips and nimble fingers, kissed their way down her body, slowly removing her pajama bottoms as they moved. Half asleep, she moaned the only name that was on her mind. "Elliot," she purred, lifting her arm to run her hand through his hair. "What are you doing?"

Elliot shook his head, not in the mood for talking, and continued his journey back up, once he'd discarded her pants. He licked and kissed her taut, toned stomach, dipping his tongue into her belly button, making her buck a bit and moan louder. "Down, girl," Elliot whispered, chuckling. He kissed his way up her chest, pushing her top up, stopping to suckle gently on each of her nipples.

"Oh, God, El," Olivia said on a breathless whisper. "What a way to wake up," she chuckled, still playing with his hair.

"I love waking you up like this," Elliot said, with her nipple in his mouth. "It's Sunday," he said, slinking up to meet her. "No work and all play, makes Elliot a happy fucking guy." He bent his head and kissed her lips, sliding his arms down to collect her hands in his, intertwining their fingers. He kept kissing her as he nudged her legs apart and pushed into her slowly.

"El," Olivia gasped, sliding her leg up his body, forcing Elliot deeper. "Oh, Elliot," she moaned. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as they kissed and moved in perfect sync. Meeting each other's thrusts eagerly, they kept their mouths attached, silencing their moans and cries with deep, passionate kisses.

Elliot hit into her slow, and deep, and he pulled away from their kiss and looked into her eyes. "Liv, baby," he panted, "I love you."

"I love you," Olivia whispered back to him. She gazed longingly into his eyes and, as she came, clenching around him and pulling him over the edge with her, she brought his head down, forcing their lips back together. They moaned, cried, and she wrapped her legs and arms around him, pulling him tighter, closer, never wanting to let him go, and thanking God she would never have to.

* * *

After dropping the kids off at Fin's, in an effort to cheer him up and keep his mind off of Casey leaving, Olivia and Elliot headed out into the city in search of food and something spontaneous that they had yet to do as a couple. A married couple.

"This looks like fun," Elliot said, pointing to a sign and a menu in a storefront window. "There's a restaurant on the top of this building, baby. The floor spins."

"Yeah, El," Olivia said. "I like eating on the Tilt-A-Whirl." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Liv," Elliot laughed, "It rotates at a speed of like, a-third-of-a-mile an hour. You won't even feel it."

Olivia rolled her eyes again and mumbled, "Fine, but if I get motion sickness and hurl in your pasta..."

"Liv," Elliot interrupted, "Wait." His eyes had focused on a store across the street.

"El, you can't back out now!" Olivia teased, but seeing his frozen stare, she followed his gaze and gasped. "You can't be serious," she whispered to him.

Elliot nodded. "I'm serious," he said. "Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled, ignoring the fact that they were nowhere near a crosswalk, and the light was green. Traffic seemed to stop for them as they made their way to the shop, and Elliot pulled the door open, stepped in, and said, clearly, to the woman at the front desk, "The dress in the window. My wi...fiancée would like to try it on." She was his wife, but who asks their wife to try on a wedding dress?

"Sir," the pretentious looking woman said, "That is a vintage _Mon Cheri_, a one of a kind _Mariabella _dress."

"Okay," Elliot said, not seeing her point. "Can you get it, please?"

The woman looked at him, looked at Olivia, and then back at him. "Sir, that dress is twelve thousand dollars," she said, as if she were trying to get a toddler to color in the lines.

"Look, lady," Elliot said, glaring, and whipping out his black credit card, "Give my girl the dress, before we have a problem." He casually rested his hand on his hip, allowing his jacket to swing open just enough so that his badge was visible.

"Yes, sir," the woman said, paling and clearing her throat. "Sorry if I implied that..."

"Today?" Elliot huffed.

Olivia chuckled as the woman practically ran over to the window and finagled the dress off of the dress-form, laying it in her arms and handing it, like a sick child, to Olivia.

"I seriously doubt this is going to fit, El," Olivia said, walking toward the dressing room.

Elliot held the door for her and closed it behind her. "It will. That's your dress, baby," he told her through the door. "I know it."

"Okay, Kreskin," Olivia said, shuffling things around and slipping into the dress. "Um, can you ask the bitch at the register to come here?"

"Why?" Elliot questioned, "Something wrong with the dress?"

"No," Olivia answered. "I just need her to zip it up for me."

Elliot opened the door with a laugh. "I can do it," he said.

Olivia tried to stop him but it was too late, he'd seen her. "El, if this is my dress, you're not supposed to see me in it until..."

"Liv, please. A, we're already married so I could give a rat's ass about that. B, I stayed the hell away from Kathy and look how swell our marriage turned out," Elliot told her as he pulled the zipper up slowly. "We got this right the first time, we're just having the big show and the huge party, because we deserve it," he said, kissing her nose. He turned her towards the mirror, as he stood behind her with his hands on her hips. "Oh, my God, baby," he gasped, his eyes wide, and he would never admit it, but they were welling up with tears.

Olivia felt the same thing he was feeling. She fingered the spaghetti straps nervously as she inhaled. Then she smoothed her hands over the vintage lace bodice, feeling the crystal beading beneath her fingers, grazing over the dusty rose, ribbon waistband. She let a tear fall as her hands kept trailing down to the smooth satin and chiffon skirt, grasping at it to look at the chapel-length train, the very hem of which was adorned with the same crystal beading and lace as her bodice. "El, it's so..."

"Perfect, Liv," Elliot whispered. "Like it was made for you." His hands followed the same path as hers, only his touch gave her goosebumps. "It doesn't need a single alteration, baby. It's absolutely perfect."

Olivia nodded, turned to him and kissed him. "It is, but we can't afford..."

"Cragen," Elliot interrupted. "We have the money," he whispered to her, look into her eyes.

Olivia sniffled, laughing a little as she cried. "That beautiful man," she said, turning back toward the mirror.

"I'm gonna go pay for it, you get changed, we'll have her box it, and then we'll go eat and, uh, rotate," Elliot chuckled, kissing her again as he swiped his thumb across her eye. "Guess we should start planning this thing, huh?"

"Well, unless you want me to wear this dress at the next policeman's ball," Olivia quipped, giving one final sniffle, "Yes."

* * *

After lunch at the very interesting, orbiting, restaurant, Olivia and Elliot, and the twelve-thousand-dollar dress which seemed to take on its own personality, walked hand-in-hand down the avenue, waiting for another perfect moment. What they got was anything but.

"Tell me I am seeing things," Olivia demanded. "Please, El, tell me that I'm still sleeping. I have to be dreaming."

"Baby, the way I woke you up this morning? No way," Elliot said, stunned. "We're both wide, the fuck, awake, but this can not possibly be happening."

Olivia blinked, clutching her shopping bag in one hand and Elliot's hand in the other and took a step forward. "That's Casey," she said. She'd been trying to convince herself it wasn't and failed.

"And that's O'Halloran," Elliot said, squinting his eyes. "Lab rat," he scoffed.

"Should we say something?" Olivia asked, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrid sight before her.

Elliot shrugged. "If we're still here when they come up for air, then we'll say something, but that could be a while, and we have things to do."

"You're right," Olivia said, nodding as she followed the direction of his tugging. "This isn't our problem."

"Oh, it isn't," Elliot said, shaking his head. "But tomorrow morning, when we get to work, it's gonna be the whole precinct's problem."

"Why, are you gonna tell Fin?" Olivia asked, keeping her pace steady with his as they walked toward Columbus Circle.

Elliot stopped in his tracks, turned to face her, looked her dead in the eyes, and said, "Damn right I am."

**A/N: What? Oh, my! Next, more wedding plans just spring up, and to hell with tradition! What will Fin say when Elliot tells him what he saw? Or will Stabler chicken out? Review? They make my life a little better! Uh, a lot better actually.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Waking up. Sometimes it feels like you've just gone to sleep, and you're having a nightmare.**

**DISCLAIMER: After checking my bank statements, it became clear that I do not own SVU or its characters. Dick Wolf does. However, TStabler© does own this story and its properties. **

"You need something borrowed," Alex said, sitting on Olivia's desk.

"No, I need you to get off of my desk so I can do my job," Olivia spat with a hidden chuckle.

Alex popped a grape into her mouth, and said, "You need something blue!"

"The only blue thing at my wedding is going to be you, because I'm gonna choke you if you don't move your ass!" Olivia chortled. "And stop eating my husband's grapes!"

"Please, he's not gonna care!" Alex said, reaching over to Elliot's desk to grape-nap another one. "Something old and something new?"

"The dress counts as both," Olivia said, ripping a file folder out from under Alex. "It's vintage, so it's old, but it's new because we just bought it. Besides, why are you bothering with all this superstion and tradition nonsense? I'm already fucking married!"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "You, uh, don't have a hall yet, do you?"

"I know that look, Cabot, and wherever you found the deal of the century, no," Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, I know the perfect place!" Alex cried.

"You also knew the perfect place for Elliot's birthday party last year," Olivia said, rolling her eyes. "I planned it, I paid for it, and the guy ran off with three thousand of my dollars and eighty-five cops showed up to an abandoned building, we yelled surprise to Elliot in front of Java Joe's!"

"We arrested him," Alex offered, "And you got your money back! But this is different, I swear. Trevor's cousin owns…"

"I am not getting married at Milton's Chalet!" Olivia yelled.

"How did you know who I was talking about?" Alex asked, popping more of Elliot's grapes into her mouth.

"I used to date Trevor, remember?" Olivia asked, annoyed. "You really think he never talked about marriage? Well, he talked, and I got sick."

Alex chuckled. "Fine," she said. "But the place is really beautiful, and since you're a friend of Trevor's, he wouldn't charge you full price."

"I was _dating_ Trevor and Milton wouldn't cut the price," Olivia said, cocking her head to the side. "What did you say to him?"

Alex grinned, eating Elliot's last grape. "Told him that you were both cops, and almost every guest there would be a cop, and it would be all over the papers and the news. He's in it for the…"

"No," Olivia interrupted, shaking her head. "No way."

Alex chuckled, then hopped off of Olivia's desk. "Where is he?" she asked, pointing to Elliot's empty seat.

"Interrogation room," Olivia said, smoothing out the papers Alex had been sitting on.

"And you're not with him?" Alex asked, surprised. "That's new!"

Olivia smirked. "He's not interrogating anyone. He's just talking to Fin."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Fin asked, his heart breaking.

Elliot nodded with a sad smile. "I'm sure, man. Liv saw her, too. I have half a mind to go down to the lab and ring Ryan's neck."

"How could she…I mean I thought that…God, if this isn't a wake-up call," Fin mumbled. "I'm so fuckin' stupid, man."

"Hey," Elliot spat. "Don't do that to yourself! You loved her, that's not stupid. She's the stupid one," he said. "What you said, last week, at the bar. You should marry the person you fantasize about, the only person you could see yourself with. You were gonna do that! She wasn't, and I'm glad you found out before you made the same mistake I made with Kathy." He sighed and shook his head. "It was almost eighteen years of absolute Hell, Fin."

Fin nodded, controlling his temper and his emotions. "I know. I just…I thought she'd come back to me, not move on. To O'Halloran? What the hell is up with that?"

"I don't know, man," Elliot said, shaking his head. "I don't know."

"You're a lucky son of a bitch, Stabler," Fin said, a slow, vile, smirk spreading across his face. "You found her, you got her, you're keepin' her."

"I'm lucky," Elliot agreed, "But do you have any idea how hard it was to stay away as long as I did, to stay faithful to someone I began to resent while at the same time betraying my own heart by pretending I wasn't in love with Liv? I only just admitted it out of pure inebriation!"

"Like I said," Fin said, standing, "You're a lucky son of a bitch. I thought I found her, I was wrong. How the fuck did you know, man? Like, really know?"

Elliot smiled, even though he didn't think smiling was appropriate. "I saw it in her eyes, Fin. Her eyes, man, they carry everything in them, every emotion, every thought. We don't even need to really talk sometimes. I know what she's thinking and feeling with one look. I knew, uh, three years ago, when Dauntley had a gun to my head, she aimed at both of us, and she looked right at me, and there it was. Love. She told me to duck, with her eyes, and I did. She shot him in the shoulder."

"You should give me lessons on that eye-chatting," Fin chuckled. "If you had, maybe I woulda seen Casey lie to me every time she looked at me."

"You wanna grab a few drinks when we get outta here? Just you and me? Guy time?" Elliot asked, tilting his head. "You can trash women and bitch about love, I promise not to argue with you."

Fin laughed. "Sounds great, man. I could use it." He slapped his friend on the shoulder and walked out of the interrogation room, followed by Elliot.

Elliot sighed as he sat in his chair, and looked around, curious. "Where are my grapes?"

"I'll see you guys later," Alex said, leaving the bullpen before Elliot could yell at her.

"You two," Cragen said as he stepped out of his office, pointing to Olivia and Elliot, "Lab. Now. Trace on the gun came back."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Here we go," he mumbled, getting out of his chair.

"Don't kill O'Halloran," Olivia warned, following Elliot out of the bullpen. "Maybe he didn't know Fin and Casey were engaged, or maybe Casey told him they had really broken up. He might not…"

"You're defending him?" Elliot accused, shocked, as he hit the call button for the elevator.

"I just don't want you to do anything stupid, El," Olivia said, stepping into the lift. "You don't know what he knows, or thinks. We should both be pissed off at Casey, not Ryan."

Elliot sighed, nodding. "Right, you're right. So I'll very calmly ask him to tell me why he was with Novak."

"Good, then," Olivia said with a smirk, watching the doors slide open. They were met with a surprising sight. "Casey?"

Casey looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Hey, you two," she said, no smile, no expression.

"What are you doing down here?" Elliot asked. "Or who?"

"What?" Casey asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing!" Olivia spat, shooting Elliot a look. "Casey, we, uh, saw you yesterday, with O'Halloran…"

Casey's eyes widened, her hand shot to her mouth. "You didn't tell Fin, did you?"

"Fuck yes, I did," Elliot yelled in whisper. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know what you've done to him?"

"I just," Casey began, sighing, "I wasn't ready. I thought I was, but I'm not. There are still parts of me that want to…"

"Fuck everything that moves?" Elliot finished, harshly. "Like me and my wife? And the lab staff? Everyone but your fiancée?"

"Fiancée?" O'Halloran asked, stunned, as he stepped out of the lab. He'd heard the commotion in the hallway.

Casey turned to him and made a whining noise.

"You didn't know?" Elliot asked, furrowing his brow. "She was gonna marry Fin!"

O'Halloran's eyes widened. "Shit, Casey! He's one of my closest friends!" he yelled. "You really think I would have slept with you if…"

"Oh, my God!" Olivia said, taken aback. "Wow, okay, before I start hitting you, Casey, you need to leave. Ryan, what's this thing with the gun?"

"Sorry, Benson," O'Halloran said, trying to breathe. "I can't just switch gears, I need a minute here."

Elliot ran a hand down his face, sending a glare at Casey. "You need to go talk to Fin," he said. "Now."

Casey nodded, and stepped around him to get to the elevator, as Elliot followed Olivia and O'Halloran into the lab. "Okay," O'Halloran said, clearing his head and looking at the detectives. "We ran the prints on the gun, and the trace evidence found on the handle. We found two sets of prints, one overlapping the other. When this happens, it's either because two people held the gun, struggling for it, or someone shot the vic, then put it in her hand to make it look like a suicide."

"Is that what happened here?" Olivia asked, taking the printout from Ryan.

"I thought so," O'Halloran said, "Until neither print came back a match to your vic."

Olivia let out a scoff and slapped the printout against Elliot's chest. "Ow," Elliot said, rubbing where she'd hit him. "That's not nice, Liv."

"Who said I was nice?" Olivia said, raising an eyebrow.

Elliot chuckled and read the lab report, nodded, and turned to leave. "Wait," O'Halloran cried. "Please, tell Fin that I really didn't know."

"Ryan," Elliot said, shaking his head, "I really don't think he'll care."

* * *

"Hey," Olivia said, her head turning toward the sound of the door opening and closing. "How's he doing?"

"He'll be fine," Elliot said, smirking. "He complained about every little thing Casey has ever done to annoy him, he swore to end O'Halloran's life with a rusty fork, then he started drinking and went home with Melinda."

"Woah, what?" Olivia asked, stunned. "Melinda Warner?"

"Yeah," Elliot chuckled, lifting her legs, sitting down on the couch, and placing her legs in his lap. "She was there with some friends, and she and Fin were staring at each other the whole time. I gave him a little nudge, a little vodka, and he will be over Casey by Friday."

Olivia shook her head and chuckled. "Fin and Melinda," she said. "That's almost as crazy as…"

"Alex and Trevor," Elliot interjected. "Oh, baby, Gus said he would be more than happy to provide the alcohol and the entertainment at the wedding. Free of charge, since he loves us so much."

"You really want Gus's band to play at our wedding?" Oliva asked, tilting her head down.

"What's wrong with his band?" Elliot scoffed.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Gee, El, when I think of a lifetime of love and romance, the first thing I think of is definitely 'The Vomit Pitstains."

Elliot laughed hard and shook his head. "No, honey, they'll play actual music, and they'll wear suits, and no one has to know the name of the band."

"This wedding is, like, planning itself," Olivia said, pulling herself closer to him. "I feel way too relaxed to be getting married."

"Liv, baby," Elliot said, pulling her completely on top of him, "That's because you're already married. Wedding jitters, nerves, complications…we don't have to deal with it."

Olivia chuckled. "Maybe we should get drunk and stupid more often."

"Baby, I have told you a thousand times," Elliot began. "What we did wasn't stupid."

"I know," Olivia said, her face turning somber and serious. "But what Maureen did was."

**A/N: What did Maureen do? How does Casey dig herself out of the hole she made for herself? What's gonna happen with Fin and Melinda in the morning? Why the hell did Alex eat Elliot's grapes? Who wants answers?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: What did Maureen do? Is it really that bad? And how are things with Fin and Melinda? The wedding continues to fall into their laps. And they may have finally made a mistake.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"Maureen Elaina Stabler," Elliot yelled, "This is the stupidest thing you've ever done!"

Olivia chuckled, against her will. "You just used the word 'stupidest," she told him out of the corner of her mouth.

"I lose all sense of grammar when I'm pissed!" Elliot barked. "What part of your brain thought this was a good idea?" he asked, looking at his sheepish daughter.

"Daddy," Maureen said, "We we're just messing around! It was the senior prank! No one was supposed to get caught, and no one got hurt, or…"

"You got trashed, Maureen! Underage drinking? Are you for real? Your parents are cops!" Elliot barked viciously. "And then you…do I even wanna know how you got your principal's car onto the roof?"

Maureen hung her head."You don't, no, not really," she mumbled. "We would have gotten away with it if…"

"Oh, my God!" Elliot interjected. "Are you serious? You're only concerned with the fact that you wouldn't be in trouble if Holly didn't hit the power-start on the keys, and let the car go flying off of the building? You are damn lucky Olivia went down there and talked to the arresting officers, and all you got was community-fucking-service! You're damn lucky you weren't the brains behind the operation, and you're damn lucky your principal has a sense of humor and another car!"

"I know I am, Daddy," Maureen whispered. "What are you gonna do to me?"

Elliot sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You're grounded until the end of the school year. No mall after school, no parties, nothing. Prom, because it's important, and Graduation. That's it! You get up, you go to school, your ass is back in this house at four o'clock."

Olivia looked at Elliot suspicially. It was only October, that was a long time to be grounded.

"That's it?" Maureen asked, shocked. "Holy crap, that's it?"

Elliot's eyes widened. "You want more? How drunk are you?"

"No, no, no!" Maureen yelped. "I just...before you would have probably thrown things, or made me wash out the toilet with my toothbrush." She gave a good hiccup, and drank some of the black coffee Olivia had made for her.

Elliot shook his head and ran a hand over his face. "I was a lot angrier before. Things have changed around here, Mo. I'm…different."

Maureen smiled a small smile. "I know you are, Daddy. We all are." She sent a glance at Olivia and said, "And we all know why." She took her cup of coffee and wobbled up the stairs, thanking God that she didn't have school in the morning.

"Damn," Elliot spat, slumping into the couch. "What the hell did she do?"

Olivia sat beside him and rubbed his knee. "It wasn't that bad," she said. "She could have done what you did."

"Oh, then I woulda fucking killed her," Elliot chuckled. "Liv, baby, thank you for going down there and getting her. Why didn't you call me, though?"

"El," Olivia sighed, "First off, I was not going to hand her over to you while she was still shitfaced. I needed her to sober up a little before I fed her to the dogs. Second, you were out with Fin, you needed to help him, and as her stepmother, i felt that I could handle it myself until you came home. Besides, Maureen needed a girl with her for a few hours, ya know? Someone who understood that she only went along with everything because Travis McCaine has the bluest eyes she's ever seen. She needed…"

"Her mother," Elliot concluded as he turned to Olivia and cupped her face. "She needed you, baby. And you were there."

Olivia accepted his kiss greedily, then pulled away. "I would have been there, even if we weren't…"

"I know," Elliot said. "When I told Maureen that I was different…I meant I was different because of you, Liv. Being with you, finally being with you like this, took a huge weight off of my shoulders. You make me so…so happy, and relaxed, and with you, I feel like I can be myself, and you're gonna love me no matter what. With Kathy, I had to walk on eggshells. I couldn't…there were parts of me that she never saw, bits and pieces of me that she never got. You did, Liv. Even before, before Vegas, you had all of me."

"And I guess you think you only had one of my legs and an ear?" Olivia quipped, sniffling as he'd made her tear up. "You had all of me, too, El. Always. It's just…now it's okay to say it, to admit, and to do something about it."

"I'm gonna do something about it," Elliot said as he brought his hands up from her face to around the back of her neck and pulled her close. He could stay like this for hours, kissing his wife. His wife. His Olivia. His hands ran over her body, his tongue invaded her very soul, he pulled her impossibly close. He moaned, a sound of pure satisfaction emitting form somewhere deep within his body, and he, unaware that he was even speaking, said, "I love you."

"I love you, too, El," Olivia whispered back, her heart stopping at the pure emotion running through her, feeling it all through his kiss and his words.

Elliot pulled her up into his arms, and keeping a grip on her, keeping their lips locked, he carried her into their bedroom, laid her down gently, and showed her just how much he really did love her.

* * *

"You look happy," Elliot said, smirking, as Fin walked into the squadroom.

Fin smirked back. "So do you, and it's probably for the same reason."

"I doubt it," Elliot said, grinning. "My night, aside from a drunken daughter who committed grand theft auto, was amazing, my morning was even better, and I'm married to Olivia, you're not. I'm smiling for a whole…you got laid."

Fin shot him a cocky grin. "I feel like I'm in high school when you say it like that," he said, reaching over to Munch's desk and grabbing his slinky.

"You _are_ in high school, man!" Elliot laughed. "Fin, I didn't send you home with her to…"

"Yeah, you did," Fin spat, laughing. "You know you did. And it was…mind blowing."

Olivia raised both eyes and said, "I am not hearing this."

"Yeah, you are," Fin said, still laughing. "Oh, uh, on my way here, I passed this store. Elliot, man, the suits are eighty percent off, and they carry ties and shit to match whatever. Her shoes, or her eyes. Whatever the fuck you wanna match."

"Stabler," Cragen shouted from his office, "Benson, you two have to finish that paperwork on the Yagmere case. Trial starts next week!"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "God, I find out he's my uncle and there's still no nepotism at all."

Elliot chuckled, handing her a file.

Fin raised an eyebrow, then asked ,"You pick your theme yet, Baby-Girl?"

Olivia popped her head up from the folder in her hands, and she raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" she asked. "Oh, uh, no. But my dress has this dusty rose, pinkish, ribbon thing…so I think that's a nice color for a fall wedding."

"You are the weirdest bride I've ever seen," Munch cracked. "You're not jumpy and babbly, and you don't have every single detail planned, like a scientist."

"Munch," Elliot said. "This is Olivia. She's not the type to get like that, and this is really just like a, uh, vow renewal. We're already married. We've got things planned. A lot of them. We're almost done, actually. Just need the hall, and the girls' dresses."

Fin looked at him, with a twisted, confused expression. "You got flowers? The cake?"

"This nice, little, Italian man that used to live next door to Liv is gonna bake our cake," Elliot said. "He owns a bakery."

"Antolini, right? He made Cragen's birthday cake," Fin said, still unable to wipe the smile off of his face.

Olivia nodded. "He heard I was getting married, or got married, whatever, and he wants to give us that as a gift."

"And my cousin Gary is a florist, so the flowers kind of took care of themselves," Elliot said, shrugging. "We're in a good place."

"No," Casey said, coming in, looking harrowed. "You're not. Technically, you were married when you met Fontino at the bar in Vegas. He's now claiming that you two would be violating spousal privilege if you testified."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "What a crock of shit," she said. "That's only if we had to testify for or against each other."

"That's what I said," Casey noted. "Trevor's even trying to convince him he's got no hope, but with his extradition to New York, he seems to think he's calling all the shots."

"Well, we're just gonna have to show him he's not," Elliot said with an attitude, glaring at her.

Casey sighed, then turned, looking directly at Fin.

The silence that followed that statement was intense, only broken when Melinda Warner walked into the bullpen, two files and something gold in her hands. "Benson, Stabler," she said, stepping in front of Casey, smirking, "Your vic wasn't just killed. She was poisoned. Over a few months, slowly, it seems. The rape triggered an intense adrenaline and epinephrine rush, which made the last dose hit her heart faster."

"She had a heart attack?" Olivia questioned, flipping open the file. "During the rape?"

"Yes," Melinda replied, handing Elliot the other one. "That's her Tox-screen, and there's only one place in the city someone could get that particular chemical. I gave you the address."

Elliot slapped the file closed, with a nod. "Thanks, Mel. Liv, we should go, uh, talk to someone down at the plant."

"Yeah," Olivia said, getting out of her seat. Before they left, though, they watched as Melinda breezed passed Casey again, handing Fin something gold and shiny.

"You left this on the dresser," Melinda said to Fin, leaning over and grinning at him.

Fin smiled at her, taking his watch from her hands. "Thanks, baby," he said, winking at her. "I'm outta here at eleven."

"I'll be at your place at eleven-thirty," Melinda replied, giving him a quick peck on the lips. She walked out of the squadroom as if nothing had happened.

"I told you," Fin said, looking at Elliot, "That we were probably happy for the same reason, Stabler."

Elliot shot a hesitant glance at Casey, who looked beyond hurt, and then took Olivia's hand, pulling her out of the bullpen.

"Hey," Olivia said, as she was dragged into the elevator, "I wanted to watch the fireworks!"

"Wait till the fourth of July, baby," Elliot said, chuckling.

"Oh," Olivia said, "While you were in the bathroom before, Maureen's principal called for you. I told him who I was, so he talked to me. I convinced him not to suspend her. She's got three days of detention, since she wasn't the ring leader and wasn't really a part of it. Wrong place, really wrong time."

Elliot looked at her and shook his head in disbelief. "You are amazing," he said, kissing her. "Ya know, I thought you'd freak out on me, Liv. I thought that having the kids full time, planning a real wedding, would all be too much for you, and make you run. You are really not having a nervous breakdown, and you're a better mother than Kathy ever was."

"El, I love you, and I love your kids," Olivia said. "I have for years. You know that. If it was anyone else," she said, "I'd be running."

"Oh, I know you would be. And they're _our_ kids," Elliot told her as the lift doors opened. "They're your kids, too, baby. They have been for a long time."

As they stepped out into the still-too-hot October afternoon, they ran into someone neither one wanted to see. And she was smiling.

"Elliot, Olivia," she said, "I'm glad I caught you. Do you have a second?"

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Not really, Kathy," he said. "We're on a call."

"This'll only take a moment," Kathy said, handing them a stack of travel brochures. "Pick any place you want. Really, any place. I'll take the kids for the week, and Steven's a travel agent…"

"Hold on," Elliot said, "You were still with him, and you came to the station trying to get me back four days ago?"

"No, we had broken up, but I'm back with him now," Kathy explained in a rush. "Just look through them, pick a place, I'll handle the rest."

"Why?" Olivia asked, her eyebrow quirked.

Kathy sighed. "Because I know what happened. I freaked out when Kathleen told me you had gotten married, and I thought that…"

"You knew? When you came down here, you knew?" Elliot spat.

"Yes," Kathy said, sighing. "I was hoping it wasn't true. But when Dickie explained that you didn't plan it, and it wasn't because you'd been having an affair, I felt like shit for the way I reacted. Olivia, you were always nothing but nice to me, and you've always been there for my kids. This trip would be…"

"No," Elliot broke in. "Kathy, you've known me for a long time, and you think I'm this gullible?" He handed her the brochures back. "Nice try, but I've already got the honeymoon planned."

Kathy's face fell, and her right eye twitched. "I was being sincere, Elliot, but have it your way. I'll see you both later," she said, walking away.

Elliot pulled Olivia toward their red sedan, and as he opened the door for her, she looked at him. "We don't have the honeymoon planned, El," she said, getting into the passenger seat.

"We don't," Elliot said, walking around to the driver's side. He got in, started the car, and kissed her quickly before saying, "I do."

**A/N: Has their impulsive wedding ruined their case? What did Casey say to Fin when Melinda left? What was up with Kathy and what does Elliot have planned for the honeymoon? I'll post it, if you want it!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Has their impulsive wedding ruined their case? What did Casey say to Fin when Melinda left? What was up with Kathy and what does Elliot have planned for the honeymoon? I'll post it, if you want it!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"She didn't," Elliot said disbelievingly as Fin told him what Casey had said when he and Olivia had left for the chemical company the previous afternoon.

"She did," Fin said, chuckling and nodding. "And then she asked me how long I wanted to fuck Mel. Then she had the nerve to ask if I ever fantasized about Melinda the way she fantasized about you and Baby-Girl," he scoffed. "Tryin' to make me into some kind of hypocrite."

Elliot shook his head and finished fixing his coffee. "Man, she really has a screw loose."

"Speakin' of screws," Fin began, lowering his voice and leaning closer to Elliot, "What's Liv like?"

"Perfectly sane, unless you piss her off," Elliot said, not getting it, drinking his coffee. "Or get her drunk," he laughed.

"No, man," Fin laughed. "In bed. What, uh, what's the craziest place you two have ever done it? Does she scream? Does she bite?"

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Ask her," he said. Then his eyes twinkled and he said, "I've never been one to kiss and tell, Fin. But, uh, I have plenty of scars, our neighbors are lucky we have insulation, and I think someone needs to wax or replace Cragen's desk." He smirked, as Fin gaped, and walked back to his desk.

Fin cleared his throat as he walked to his own workspace and looked at Elliot. "Cap's desk? How the fuck did you swing that?"

Olivia dropped her file and pen and glared at Elliot. "You told him?"

"I didn't give him details," Elliot laughed.

"I want details," Fin said, looking at Olivia.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "I want a Sixty-Seven Roadster Convertible," she said. "Guess we're both shit outta luck, huh?"

Fin laughed and let his mind race with possibilities as he thought of Olivia, Elliot and Cragen's desk.

Munch walked in, then, shaking his head and heading for the coffee. "You two," he said, pointing to Olivia and Elliot, "Never, ever, get divorced." He poured a cup, sipped and said, "This shit sucks."

"Divorce or your coffee?" Olivia asked with a smirk.

"Both," Munch said, tilting his cup toward them as he sipped again. "Just promise me if your marriage bites the dust you won't pull this mud-slinging shit."

"Munch," Elliot said, sighing, "You don't have to worry about me and Liv. Divorce is not an option."

Olivia softened a bit, smiled at him, and then said, "Yeah, if I ever get sick of him, I'll just kill him." Fin and munch laughed, then she said, "That will never happen, though." She winked at Elliot, unable to really tell him she loved him at that moment.

Munch nodded, sitting, and said, "If it was gonna happen, it woulda happened long ago."

Fin said, "Yeah, and anyway, how the hell did you get into Cragen's office?"

Olivia and Elliot laughed as Munch stared on, confused.

Cragen walked out of his office then, his eyes wide. "You two," he said, wagging a finger between Olivia and Elliot. "Court! Case! Won! How?"

Olivia looked at Elliot, who was staring back at her just as amused. She chuckled, then turned to Cragen and said, "Captain! Case! Crock! Shit!"

"How did you...what the hell happened?" Cragen asked, folding his arms.

Elliot took another sip of his coffee, then leaned back in his chair. "We convinced the jury that the bastard's idea of spousal privilege was faulty and misguided, Liv had the good sense to bring up our case closure rating, I stayed relatively calm, and it helped that Trevor didn't even believe his own bullshit defense. The judge threw out the complaint and told the jury to disregard any mention of our marital status."

"When all they had was cold hard facts," Olivia said, smirking, "They had no choice but to convict the son of a bitch."

"Damn impressive," Cragen said, giving each of his lead detectives a pat on the back. "Oh, uh, Stabler, some guy named Whitfield called for you? Said something about Tahiti? Bora Bora? Wants you to call him back," he said, handing Elliot a message note.

"Thanks, Cap," Elliot said through gritted teeth. Now, the surprise was shot.

"Sure," Cragen said, smirking. The phone rang, then, and Cragen nodded, letting his crew know he'd answer it, and he ran into his office to do it.

"Who the hell do you know in Bora Bora?" Olivia asked, a smirk on her face.

Elliot tilted his head. "No one," he said. "But, uh, we're gonna meet a few people there, hopefully."

Olivia furrowed her brow, giving him the expression she reserved for really incompetent perps, and Trevor Langan. "What the hell are you talking about? When the fuck are we going to...oh, my God."

Elliot let his pressed together lips tighten and lean into a skewed smirk as he tried not laugh at her stunned expression. "Yeah, so you need to go pick out the girls' dresses. The sooner we get married, uh, again, the sooner we can go on this magical mystery tour of Matira Beach."

"They're already...I mean, they just need to get fitted," Olivia mumbled, still shocked. "Elliot, how the hell did you...wow, what?"

Elliot laughed and shook his head. "I told you I had it all planned."

"Yeah," Olivia said, "But usually when you say things like that it's like a third grader telling his mother he's done his science fair project, then stays up all night doing it at the last minute."

Fin laughed heartily. "You just got owned, Stabler."

"She's owned me for years, Fin," Elliot said, drinking the last of his coffee.

Cragen came back out of his office with a pink slip and handed it to Munch. "You and Fin, Mercy General, now."

"Cap," Elliot said, feeling somewhat overlooked, "Liv and I can..."

"No," Cragen interrupted, "You can't."

Elliot folded his arms. "Court was a breeze, Cap. We got back in record time and we can stay if you..."

"You can't take this case, Stabler," Cragen barked, cutting him off again.

Olivia tilted her head. "Why not?" she asked.

Cragen sighed, shaking his head, and said, "Because the vic is Kathy."

Silence.

"Go home," Cragen said. "Both of you, just go home, you had the day off for court, keep it."

"Cap," Elliot said, "My kids have a right to..."

"I'll call," Cragen interjected again. "Just go."

* * *

Olivia and Elliot were cuddled together under a blanket on the couch, watching a movie, with a bowl of cheddar cheese popcorn nestled between them. Dickie and Lizzie were on the floor in front of the television, Kathleen was lying flat on the rug in front of the couch, and Maureen was curled up on the reclining chair. It was a quiet family evening, as Olivia and Elliot were trying to forget that Kathy had been assaulted.

"Come," Olivia whispered, leaning into Elliot and speaking with the character in the movie.

"Stay," Elliot whispered back to her.

Olivia, turning her face from the screen toward Elliot, pointed to her heart and said, "Ouch."

"Ouch," Elliot said, mimicking her actions.

Olivia turned back to the TV and rested her head on Elliot's shoulder as she whispered, "I'll be right here."

Elliot kissed her forehead, letting his eyes close.

"Okay," Kathleen said from the floor. "I know you two can reenact this movie with finger puppets if you wanted to, but will you both shut up? E.T is leaving and it's...God, I'm crying over a stupid alien movie.

Sniffling, Olivia said, "It's not stupid, Katie."

"This is Liv's favorite movie," Elliot said, brushing his thumb under her eye, wiping the tear, then popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Maureen chuckled. "Yeah, probably just because the kid's name is Elliot."

"You have no idea how much crap kids at school gave me for that, do you, Mo?" Elliot asked, tossing popcorn at her. "Every five minutes, some kid would come up and point to me and go, 'E.T phone home, Elliot.' Drawing out my name like the damned alien does. All the way up through the damned police academy."

Olivia's cell phone rang, interrupting Elliot's anecdote, and she answered it. "Sta...Benson," she said, giving Elliot a look. "Wow, okay. Is she...oh, that's good, then. You don't know. Right. Thanks, Fin. No, uh, just let us know when you do. Bye." She hung up and shook her head. "I really almost said 'Stabler,' El. That's a little creepy."

"It's your name, Liv," Elliot said with a chuckle. "You legally changed it, now I think you're heart and your brain have finally changed it, too."

Olivia smirked at him, tossing some popcorn in her mouth. She leaned into him and whispered, so the kids wouldn't hear her, "Kathy's in pretty bad shape. He really worked her over, El. We should take the kids to see her tomorrow."

Elliot scrunched his face a bit. "I don't think they should see her if..."

"She looks fine," Olivia broke in. "According to Fin, she's just got a black eye and a broken wrist. Everything else is, uh, internal."

Elliot cringed, dropping his head to Olivia's. "He say if she knew who did it?"

"No," Olivia said. "But he said she swears it wasn't her boyfriend. Guy was wearing a mask, jumped her coming out of work."

"Stop," Elliot said, kissing her quickly. "I don't wanna hear it. We're off tonight, I don't wanna talk about work, or Kathy. We're having a good night. I don't want to deal with this right now."

Olivia nodded, kissing him again, and she was stunned when Elliot pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. They were interrupted, though, when a couch pillow hit Elliot in the head.

"Ow!" Elliot yelped. "Rude," he spat, tossing the pillow back to Dickie.

"No, Dad," Dickie laughed. "Rude is you two making out like Maureen and Travis."

"Dickworm!" Maureen shouted.

Olivia chuckled. "Hey, that's not nice. Don't call your brother names," she said, trying to sound stern and motherly.

"Hey, Mo," Elliot said, grinning, "Don't you have laundry to do, oh, grounded one?"

"Shouldn't out loving mother be doing the laundry, oh, overdoing-it-with-the-punishment one?" Maureen asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Olivia scoffed. "Who do you think your father married? For the last sixteen years, I've been paying a nice Chinese woman to wash my clothes. I don't do laundry," she said smirking and lowering both eyebrows a bit.

"Or any cooking," Kathleen said.

"Or cleaning," Lizzie added.

Dickie fell back onto the pillow on the floor and said, "But that's why we love you, Mom. You wouldn't be you if you did all those things. You'd be all boring and un-Liv-like."

"So true," Kathleen said.

Elliot looked at Olivia and he smiled warmly at her. She could see the love reflecting in his eyes as he said, "Incredibly true." He brushed her hair back, kissed her sweetly, and said, "I love you, Olivia."

"I love you, too," Olivia said, smirking. She stuck her finger out, pointed at him, and said, "Elliot," in her best drawn-out E.T voice.

Elliot chuckled and shook his head, then leaned in to kiss her again. "Lemme guess, you wanna phone home, too?"

Olivia shook her head, pecked his lips, and said, "I am home."

"Damn right you are," Elliot said, holding her close. He was about to kiss her once more when her phone rang, again. "Dammit," he muttered, a breath away from her lips. "We're off tonight, baby."

"I know that," Olivia said, sighing as she flipped open her phone. making a conscious effort to say her name. "Benson," she spat. "What? Oh, my God, where? No, no, no, we'll do it, just tell her to stay there, and to stay calm, we're on the way." She hung up and pushed Elliot off of her.

"Liv," Elliot said, "baby, what is it? Kathy?"

"No," Olivia said, pulling on her shoes and reaching for her bag. "Casey."

**A/N: What? Oh no! Is Casey all right? What happened to her? Does this mean someone's targeting women involved with the men of SVU? Wanna know? **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: What happened to Casey? Are the cases related? If so, how are they related to Elliot and Olivia?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"Okay, Case, I got all of that," Olivia said, squeezing the bruised, broken, A.D.A's hand. "You have to tell me what he looked like. Did you see anything identifiable? A scar? A tattoo?"

"He was wearing a ski mask," Casey said, sniffling. "His eyes were green, and he smelled like bleach." She hung her head, blinked her eyes a few times, and said, "I'm sorry. That's all I can remember."

"Don't apologize, Casey," Olivia said, trying not to bring her personal feelings into the investigation, trying to see Casey as a victim, not a friend. "Nothing that happened tonight was your fault."

Casey nodded. "If I was home, with Fin, instead of at that bar…"

"No," Olivia interrupted. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't cause this, and you didn't do anything wrong, tonight."

Casey nodded again. "Tell Elliot I'm sorry for kicking him out, I just couldn't handle him being in here."

"He's used to it," Olivia said, smirking.

"No," Casey said. "I'm not afraid of him, and it wasn't because he's a man or because of what happened," she said. "It's because I don't want him to see me like this."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, unsure of how she should take that. "I'll tell him," she said. "Get some rest. Call me if you remember anything." She rose off of the chair and gave Casey a small smile, then left the room.

"What'd she give you?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall.

"Besides a headache?" Olivia quipped. "Same thing Kathy told Fin. He was wearing a ski mask, jumped her a few blocks away from the bar, smelled like bleach, and had green eyes."

"So, the same guy attacked my ex-wife, and Fin's ex-fiancée," Elliot said. "Are we really not thinking that's important?"

"I thought it was," Olivia said. "You heard me tell Cragen my theory."

"Yeah," Elliot scoffed. "He totally blew you off and said it was just a coincidence because they were at the same bar."

"Fin and Munch are at the bar, now," Olivia said, matter-of-factly. "If this guy really is just tailing random women home from the bar, they'll see him."

"And if he's not?" Elliot asked, running a hand down his face.

Olivia looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Cragen's gonna be pissed. He hates when we prove him wrong."

* * *

"I have no idea what this says," Olivia said, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

Elliot, drinking his fourth cup of Munch's coffee out of sheer desperation, looked at his partner and stifled a yawn of his own. "You read it three times"

"What does that tell you?" Olivia asked, reaching over and stealing Elliot's mug. "How long have we been here?"

"We got to the hospital at ten, came back her at eleven, it's now five in the morning," Elliot said. "If I wasn't too tired to do the math, I'd tell you how long that is."

"I need a nap," Olivia mumbled, trying yet again to read the file on her desk.

Elliot smirked at her. "That's not what you need."

"It isn't?" Olivia questioned. "Fine, Doctor Stabler, how do you suggest I wake up?"

Elliot grinned, getting out of his seat. "Well, Misses Stabler, come upstairs with me," he said, his hand outstretched.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "We are not having sex at work," she said. Then she added, with a quick glance toward Cragen's office, "Again."

"Oh, gee, Liv. Because that was _really _what I was gonna do to keep you _awake_," Elliot responded sarcastically. "Just come with me!"

Olivia slipped her hand into his, shrugging. "Okay, lead and I shall follow." She allowed him to pull her up to the cribs, and when he opened the door, the sight surprised her. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked.

"Yup," Elliot said smugly. "Do I know my wife or do I know I know my wife?" He handed her the plate and the cup of piping hot, mocha latte that had been resting on one of the bunks.

"You are amazing," Olivia said, biting into the chocolate chip muffin he'd given her.

Elliot nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "I know I am," he said. "But I'm only amazing because of you. I love making you happy."

"You keep me very happy," Olivia said, giving him a chocolaty kiss.

Elliot wrapped her tighter in his arms and deepened the kiss as Olivia chuckled against his lips, trying top hold her muffin and coffee while kissing her husband. Elliot pulled away, smiling, and nuzzled her nose. "Are you really happy?"

"For the first time in my life, El, yes," Olivia replied. "I'm very happy." She sighed, pulling her arms back and drinking her coffee. "I'd be happier, though, if we had a goddamn lead on this fucking case."

As if on cue, Elliot's phone rang. He gave Olivia a quick peck on the lips then answered the phone. "Stabler," he spat. "Okay, man, slow down. I can't understand you, you have to calm down. What? Oh, God! No, we'll take it, just, uh, give us ten minutes. Yeah, I'm sure he will be. Bye, Fin."

"What now?" Olivia asked, her eyes wide.

Elliot ran a hand over his face and scratched his neck. "We have to go. Munch is officially off of the case."

"What? Why?" Olivia asked, putting her muffin back on the plate on the bed and swigging back her coffee.

"His ex-wife was found outside of her apartment. She was raped," Elliot said, clearing his throat. "And murdered."

"Shit," Olivia gasped. "Cragen still think it's a coincidence?"

Elliot shook his head and opened the door. They walked down the crib steps, determined to get the bastard before someone else lost their life. As they were heading out, Olivia stopped.

"El," Olivia called, stopping at her desk.

"Yeah?" Elliot answered, trying to put his jacket on, turning to face Olivia. He saw what she was looking at and froze.

"Those aren't from you, are they?" Olivia asked, pointing to the dozen yellow roses on her desk.

Elliot stepped toward them, looking for a card. "No, baby," he said, finding a white notecard, "They're not." He read the card, scoffed, and handed it to Olivia.

Olivia took the card out of his hands and read it. "As long as you keep him happy, you'll be safe. You're my favorite SVU girl, I'd hate to have to hurt you, too. I'll be watching." She looked up at Elliot and said, "What the hell?"

"That's evidence," Elliot said, rummaging through his drawer for an evidence bag. He found one, wrote out the info on the label, then wrote a note telling whoever would analyze it that he and Olivia had touched it. He held out the bag, watching Olivia drop the card into it, and he sealed it. "Well, at least the prick isn't coming after you, Liv. You said it yourself, we're fucking happy. You're safe."

"Comforting," Olivia said, sarcastically.

"It is," Elliot said, seriously, his voice almost gravelly. "To me, baby, it is. Let's go. Cragen needs to see this."

* * *

They arrived at the crime scene, back in their professional, partner modes, and Elliot marched over to Cragen, pissed off. "Cap!" he yelled. "This was stuck inside a dozen roses, left on Liv's desk. Still think these are coincidences?"

"He's targeting women who have hurt the men in the squad," Olivia said, hiding the fear in her voice, or was it relief?

Cragen took the card, looking at Elliot and Olivia. "Well, what do you suggest we do about it?" he asked. Then he gave Olivia a glance, looked toward Elliot, and his face lit up. "Benson," he said. Beofre he could suggest anything, though, Elliot spoke.

"No," Elliot said. "No way in hell, Cap."

"Elliot," Cragen said, "You won't really be splitting up! And she's not gonna be alone. Someone will be watching her."

Elliot, knowing the risk he was taking, looked his captain in the eyes. "No way. Over my dead body. That card is a threat, Cap. You'd never send us into a sting op after we've been threatened. I'm not doing this, she's not doing it. Absolutely not. We're not going to."

"You won't have to," Melinda said, looking up and calling to them from over the body. "I've got fluids. And there's blood and skin under her fingernails."

"Thank you," Elliot said, looking at Melinda. Then he turned to Cragen, narrowed his eyes, and said, "You really just thought using your niece, my partner, my wife, as bait was a good idea, Cap. Think about that." He lowered his voice, leaning into him. "If you ever think about doing it again, unless it's a planned gig where I can stay with her, we're gonna have a problem, Don."

Cragen sighed. Elliot was right. He turned to Melinda and asked, "How soon can you have those samples run, Doc?"

Melinda looked up, smirking. "O'Halloran's already on his way back to the lab with them. Stuckey's gonna help him run the comparisons. The kid is young and annoying, but eager to please."

"Yeah," Olivia said, rolling her eyes. "He'd do anything to keep us all happy." As soon as the words left her mouth, she looked at Elliot. "You don't think..."

Elliot, looking back at her, raised an eyebrow. "He might, Liv. Let's go. If the kids got green eyes and a couple of scratches, we got ourselves a suspect."

"Bing, bang, bong," Olivia and Elliot said, together, smirking. Elliot took the card back from Cragen, figuring it would help to have a reason to be going to the lab, and walked back to their car.

Melinda walked over to Cragen and shook her head, smirking. "They really are amazing together," she said.

Cragen smiled and said, "They really are, Doc." He sighed as he walked over to his own sedan, and as he got into the car, he squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't believe he had almost allowed Olivia to walk into a trap. Olivia was his flesh and blood, and his first instinct should have been to protect her. He did, however, feel proud of Elliot, who stood up to him, despite the potential loss of his job, in order to keep Olivia safe. He exhibited courage, logic, and he acted in the best interest of his partner. Cragen started the car, and he smiled knowing that when the time came, Elliot would be the perfect person to take over for him. And the way things were going, that might be sooner than anyone anticipated.

**A/N: Cragen has another secret? Is Stuckey behind the attacks? Why didn't Casey want Elliot in the room? And how bad is Kathy? Answers, and the wedding, next!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Is Stuckey behind the attacks? And how bad is Kathy? And talking about the wedding (sort of) gets on Liv's nerves!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. Story belongs to TStabler© Read it? Love it? Review it!**

"You're two seconds away from getting me and Elliot very angry, Dale," Olivia said, smirking at the young lab tech. "You've seen him when he's angry, haven't you?"

Stuckey nodded, swallowing back hard.

"Not very pleasant, is it?" Olivia asked him, giving him a delicate look, as if she were trying to seduce him.

Stuckey shook his head vigorously.

"And you don't like me when I'm angry, either do you?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Stuckey smiled dumbly. "I always like you, Olivia," he said, laughing shyly.

"Then give me the knife, Dale," Olivia said, holding out her hand, "And just come with us. We just wanna talk."

"Talk?" Stuckey asked, never taking his eyes off of her.

Olivia nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, we just want you to come to talk to us, so gimme the knife Dale. Elliot needs to get out of here, Dale. You cut him, see? He's bleeding. You did that."

"I did that?" Stuckey asked.

Olivia nodded, pressing her lips together, pressing her lips together. "Yeah, Dale. You did. And now you have to make it better. You have to give me the knife, and let me take him to get help, and you need to come upstairs and talk to us."

"I just couldn't give him the results, Olivia," Stuckey said, shaking his head.

"Because the DNA came back a match to you, right?" Olivia asked, moving closer. "Let's just talk about it, Dale, okay? Give me the knife," she told him.

The knife dropped into Olivia's hand, and in seconds, she slammed it on the counter beside her and grabbed Stuckey's wrist, turning him around sharply.

"Ow!" Stuckey yelled. "Hey, this isn't talking, this is hurting."

Olivia whispered in his ear. "We're playing a game, Dale. You're playing the bad guy, and I'm playing the pretty cop."

"Yeah," Stuckey laughed, "You are a pretty cop."

"Thanks," Olivia said, still whispering. "So, you assaulted a police officer, attacked Casey Novak and Kathy Malone, and killed Velma Garrison. Dale Stuckey, you have the right to remain silent," she said slapping the cuffs on him. "If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"I don't like this game," Stuckey said, trying to move his arms. "I don't wanna play anymore."

"You have the right to an attorney, Dale," Olivia continued, watching Elliot pick up the knife with a latex glove. His side bleeding, but not gushing, and clearly not hurting. She caught his eyes and he nodded at her. She continued, "If you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you by the state of New York." She yanked on his cuffs, dragging him out of the lab.

"Olivia," Stuckey cried, "You're hurting me!"

"Well, Dale," Olivia said, bitterly. "You hurt Elliot."

* * *

"I don't need this shit," Olivia said, shaking her head and walking out of the pit. "How can he...I mean, Elliot and I have been in there with him, back and forth, for the better part of fifteen hours. My throat hurts, because I've been talking and yelling so much. He's not doing anything but crying and apologizing."

"Um," Fin said, looking at Olivia as she drank her coffee, "Baby-Girl, have you lost weight?"

"What?" Olivia asked, looking up at him.

Fin tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "Your teeth are whiter."

"You're confused about my dental hygiene?" Olivia asked, her scratchy voice cutting out.

"No, but they're really...really white," Fin said, shaking his head. "You drink an awful lot of coffee, Baby-Girl."

Munch cleared his throat and said, "Someone's finally becoming a bride-to-be."

"I'm already married," Olivia scoffed.

Munch laughed. "Yeah, but that was a drunken, Vegas, lets-make-a-mistake-with-Elvis wedding," he said. "This is your real wedding, Benson. You're subconsciously taking better care of yourself to look good Sunday."

"Saturday," Olivia corrected. "You have the invitation on your desk for a month! And you'd better be there on time, in that suit. I don't care if you hate pink, Munch, you're wearing it!"

Munch smirked. "See?"

Olivia narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. "Bastard," she mumbled.

Elliot walked out of the room pointed to Olivia and jutted his thumb back. "Your turn," he said. "I'm gonna kill that kid. If he 'bing, bang, bong's me one more damn time I'm gonna 'bing-bang-bong' him with my gun."

Olivia rolled her eyes, sighed, and got out of her chair. She wasn't even through the door when Fin started in on Elliot. "Man, I know you're already married, but we need to give you a..."

"No, you don't," Olivia yelled from the pit.

Elliot chuckled and said, "And that's my wife." His phone rang, then, stopping the talk of weddings and bachelor parties. "Stabler," he said into the receiver. "What? No, no, I'm not. We're divorced, but I guess she never changed...I'll be right there." He hung up, got out of his seat and looked toward Munch. "You and Fin have to keep grilling Stuckey, so far he's owned up to Casey and Velma, he's holding back on Kath..."

"No, he's not," Olivia said, coming out of the interrogation room looking pale. She slammed the yellow pad with Stuckey's tear stained written statement on it down on Munch's desk. "He broke down the second he saw me. He did it."

"Okay, we gotta go, Liv," Elliot said, tossing her her jacket.

"Go? Where?" she asked, confused.

Elliot grabbed his coffee and his keys and said, "To get the kids, then to Mercy. I'm still Kathy's emergency contact and medical proxy, she's unconscious and needs surgery. I have to sign off on it."

Olivia cringed and nodded. "Okay," she said, waving to Munch and Fin.

Cragen stepped out of the pit in time to see them run off, then he looked at Fin and Munch. "Alex is coming down to deal with him," he said. "Langan's gonna plea him out. This can't go to trial."

Fin looked up, confused. "Why not?"

"Because if it does, I'm gonna be in trouble," Cragen said. "Stuckey is claiming he was only doing what I wanted him to do."

"Pardon me?" Munch questioned, shocked.

Cragen sighed. "Things I said in passing, shop talk, bullshitting with you guys."

Fin picked up the notebook and read Stuckey's statement. "Novak's playing with too many hearts, someone needs to break hers?" he read, questioning. "Stabler's ex is getting on my nerves, she's coming between them again, and someone needs to tell her to get the hell out of their lives," he read again. "Cap, you said all this?"

"I did," Cragen said.

Munch shook his head. "But you never said that someone should go rape and kill them, Cap. Clearly, Stuckey's two fries short of a Happy Meal!"

"Exactly," Cragen said. "If we go to trial, he'll get off with an insanity defense. We can't let that happen."

* * *

Dickie was sleeping on Olivia's shoulder, Lizzie was sleeping, sitting on the floor with her head in Olivia's lap, Maureen and Kathleen were each curled in chairs, and Elliot was sitting next to his wife, drumming his fingers along the arm rest.

"They tell you anything yet?" Olivia asked, groggily.

Elliot shook his head. "Just that there was internal bleeding they didn't catch the first time and they had to go in and stop it."

"Jesus," Olivia mumbled. "Sorry," she said.

"For what?" Elliot asked, a serious tone to his voice.

Olivia lifted her head up a bit. "For what? For this, El. Your ex-wife is in surgery because our loony lab tech heard Cragen say she needed to stay out of our lives."

"Oh," Elliot said. "Not your fault, don't say you're sorry, Liv. I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have to have my family sleeping in the waiting room because Kathy was hanging onto me via her medical records."

"El," Olivia said, "You have every right to be here. She's the mother of your children."

Elliot shook his head. "She lost that title the day she dropped them off on our doorstep, Liv. She signed all the forms, she just...just gave them to me. To _us, _baby. She was tired of being a mother. She loves them, I know she does, but she wanted to actually live the life she never got to because I was irresponsible."

"You were _too_ responsible," Olivia clarified. "You married her, instead of walking away like so many guys do, and you stayed with her, El. You stayed, and you had three more kids, and you tried like hell to make your marriage work. The job..."

"It wasn't the job, Liv," Elliot said, sighing. "Wake up."

Olivia raised both eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Really, Liv," Elliot said, "It wasn't the job. The job was an excuse. 'Sorry, Kathy, I need to go back to the station, we got a call.' Or, 'Kathy, really, I need to go help Liv with paperwork or she'll be there all night." He chuckled, remembering. "I remember even making shit up sometimes, Liv. Telling her about things and people that didn't exist, and instead of going to the station, I'd go..."

"To my place," Olivia said. "You used to tell me you couldn't sleep, knew I was awake, needed the company, and you couldn't talk to Kathy."

Elliot smirked. "That was all true, Liv. I couldn't sleep without talking to you. You were awake. I couldn't talk to Kathy, not about the stuff that we talked about, and not if she was pissed off at me for leaving. I guess, uh, I was having an emotional affair."

Steven, Kathy's boyfriend, looked up from his chair across from them and said, "You couldn't help it."

"Sorry?" Elliot asked, quirking his brow.

Steven sighed and scratched his head. "I said, you couldn't help it. You fell in love, Elliot. It happens. Kathy knows when you fell in love with Olivia. She really didn't blame you anymore, she is really happy for you now."

The doctor approached the group, and Steven got out of his seat, wringing his fingers. "Family of Kathy Malone?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah, that's us," Steven said. "All of us." He gestured to Olivia, Elliot and the four sleeping kids.

The doctor blinked and said, "Well, okay, uh, she's out of surgery, we stopped the bleeding. She should make a full recovery, but we need to keep her here for observation. A few days, tops."

"Thanks, Doc," Steven said, shaking the doctor's hand. He looked back at Olivia and Elliot, nodded, then followed the doctor to Kathy's room.

Olivia looked down, brushed Lizzie's hair back, and caught sight of her watch. "El," she gasped. "It's two in the morning."

"Yeah, I know, we should wake the kids and..."

"Elliot," Olivia interrupted, "It's two in the morning, on Friday."

Elliot looked at her for a moment, trying to figure out why that was important, then his eyes widened. He smiled. He kissed her. He nuzzled her nose and said, "We're getting married tomorrow." Then he laughed. "Well, re-married. Tomorrow."

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Like to review? The day before the wedding brings a few confessions from Casey, and Olivia and Elliot celebrate a little early ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Funeral was today. Heartbroken. Writing this when I got home kept me slightly distracted. Day before the wedding. Casey's confessions. And a little smut. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters, the story you are reading, though, is the sole property of TStabler©**

"Are you two looking forward to tomorrow?" Melinda asked, smiling at Olivia.

"That's a hell of a thing to be asking while I'm crouched over a dead body, Mel," Olivia replied.

"Oh, please, like we haven't talked about worse things during work," Elliot muttered,

"Good point," Olivia laughed. "To answer your question, Melinda, yes. We're looking forward to the pointless wedding we're only having because our friends and family are pissed at us."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "They're not..."

Olivia interrupted him. "Don't tell me they're not, Elliot! Casey..."

"Casey was an exception, Liv! Everyone else dealt with it! Most of them expected this! Hell, Cragen was fucking there, and he didn't even stop it," Elliot said, almost yelling. He couldn't believe they were still fighting about this.

"That's all true, but no one else was there, and you have to admit they're all mad they weren't," Olivia reasoned.

"Not all of us," a voice from behind her said.

Olivia turned, coming face to face with Casey. Her eyes widened. "What are you doing here?" she asked

"Making sure you don't screw up my case," Casey spat. "I informed the powers that be of my concerns, and after your honeymoon, they'll be observing you for a week, they'll decide if you can remain partners."

Elliot screwed up his face in anger and yelled, "Are you insane? You know damn well we work just fine together, Novak! Tucker and the Chief gave us their damn blessing! And this isn't your case!"

"Not after I told them you let someone in your own department rape and murder women related to your detectives," Casey said with a smirk. "Now they think your judgment is off. And what do you mean it isn't my case?"

"Oh, you have real balls, Casey," Olivia yelled.

Melinda rose to her feet. "I'm calling Tucker and Chief McKinley right now and telling them what a crock of shit that is."

Elliot looked at the M.E. "Thanks, Mel," he said to her with a nod. "But I'm sure they know that."

"They do," Olivia said, sounding certain. "They're just trying to appease the attorney who was traumatized by that rapist. She's looking for someone to blame."

Casey smirked. "Ya know," she said, "There is one thing you could do that would make me drop the complaint."

Elliot shook his head. "Keep dreaming, Novak. That's not gonna happen."

Casey's eyes narrowed. "Ya know, when Stuckey was on top of me, Elliot, I closed my eyes and imagined he was you."

"Casey!" Olivia barked, "Enough!"

Casey rolled her eyes. "Now, what is this about this not being my case?"

Olivia smirked. She marched over to the redhead, looked her dead in the eyes, and said, "You need to leave. Right now. Donnelly knows about your little obsession. I put in a formal request for a new A.D.A."

"You didn't," Casey asked, shocked.

"I did," Olivia said, nodding. "Now, if you don't mind, my partner and I need you to leave so _you_ don't screw up_ our_ case." She glared, evilly, and watched in dark victory as Casey narrowed her eyes and walked away, knowing she had finally lost.

* * *

"That had to be the day from hell," Olivia said, slamming the door to their place as she ripped off her jacket. "That interrogation took forever, and is our new A.D.A slightly shorter on her left side? And why am I not hearing any yelling?"

Elliot chuckled. "Honey, the kids are with Fin," he said. "If you looked around before you started complaining, you would have noticed something."

Olivia stopped, blinked twice, then gasped. "El!" She cried. "What is this?

"Dinner," Elliot said, running a hand down her arm. "Candlelight, roses, champagne, and dinner. Followed by a hot bubble bath and a night of slow, slow loving," he told her, trailing his lips across the back of her neck.

"You are amazing," Olivia said.

"Just proving that it wasn't a mistake the first time," Elliot said, "And it's not gonna be a mistake the second time."

Olivia turned around in his arms and looked up into his eyes. "You didn't need to prove that," she said.

"Liv, baby, we woke up married," Elliot said. "Anyone with a brain would think we fucked up royally. We stuck it out. We made it work. We didn't take the easy way out and get it annulled," he explained. "It's been hard, I'm not saying it hasn't, but it's been incredible. And tomorrow, we're making it more real than it already is, baby."

Olivia touched her lips to his and felt him moving her backwards toward the table. She smirked against his lips and let herself be placed into a seat.

Elliot peeled himself off of her lips and looked into her eyes. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowing.

"Marrying me twice, and not thinking it was a mistake, either time." He kissed her again, sweetly, and nuzzled her nose as he sat in the seat next to her and poured the champagne.

Dinner was romantic, they fed each other, talked, and kissed all through the meal, and as Olivia rose from her seat to clear the table, Elliot grabbed her hands. "Leave them," he told her, and pulled her toward their bedroom. He had a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Olivia gasped, for the second time that night, as Elliot led her into the master bathroom. Their tub was filled with bubbling, sudsy water. There were candles lit around the rim and soft music was playing. She felt his hands on her, running down her body, sliding the layers of material off as he moved. He kissed the new skin as he uncovered it, murmuring to her. Her name, it sounded like, against her skin. He was giving her goosebunps. She let out a soft moan as she felt his hand run over her hips, lowering her pants with her panties.

"Get in," Elliot whispered to her, trailing his fingers back up her body.

Olivia stepped into the hot, scented water, and turned, attentively watching Elliot as he removed his suit and tie, watching in eager anticipation as he stepped toward her, and climbed in with her, moving to sit behind her. He pulled her in front of him, leaning her back, and began rubbing her temples, humming softly. "So nice," she whispered, relaxing into his touch.

Elliot chuckled, running his hands in circles down her face to her neck, then her shoulders, massaging her. "It is, isn't it?" he asked.

"Very," Olivia mumbled as Elliot's hands traveled lower, down her back. He reached her hips and squeezed, then moved them around to the front of her waist, slipping them between her legs, making her jump.

Elliot laughed. "Didn't think you'd be staying that relaxed, did you?" he asked, sliding his fingers up her slit, back down, back up, back down, teasing her. "I want you, baby. Here. Now. Always."

Olivia moaned and arched her back against him, but he moved his hand.

"No," Elliot said, whispering. "You get it when I wanna give it to you. Lean back. Where you were."

Olivia did, pressing her body against his, feeling him hard against her lower back, and that's when she felt him slide a finger into her. She bit her lip and turned her head, moaning his name softly.

"I'm right here, baby," Elliot whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'll always be right here." He pushed another finger inside of her, moving them both slowly, brushing her hair back with his other hand. He kissed her forehead, hearing her whimper, as he moved his fingers faster. He carefully, slowly, added another one, feeling her tense up, hearing her seethe and yelp. "Okay, baby," he cooed, moving them around. He whispered, kissing her, "So fucking tight."

Olivia nodded against his chest, turning his body toward him. The hot water was lapping at her skin, the added sensation new and erotic. She kissed him, full on the lips, deepening it as she reached her own hands toward his hardened length, stroking. Elliot moaned against her lips and Olivia chuckled. She bucked her hips against his hand and his thumb jutted out, finding her clit. "God, El," she cried, moving faster.

"Oh, baby," Elliot garbled, still kissing her, moving his hand. He wrapped his hand around hers, helping her guide him toward her worked-over opening and he entered her slowly, looking deeply into her eyes. "You feel so good," he told her, the love clear in his voice. "You always feel so good."

"So do you, baby," Olivia replied. "Incredible," she whispered, throwing her head back as she moved. She leaned over farther, holding him tighter, finding sex in the tub slightly difficult, but amazing. "Oh, my God, Elliot," she moaned, dropping her head to his suddenly.

Elliot was in ecstasy, the water lapping at his skin in time with his upward thrusts. "Liv, baby," he panted, "So good. So, so, good. Fuck, Liv," he grunted. He hit into her, moving faster, as his fingers found their way between their bodies and stroked her clit.

"Holy shit," Olivia yelped. She kissed his neck, biting and sucking.

Elliot felt her clenching, clamping, and he knew he wasn't far off. "Cum for me baby. I'm right there baby. Go, baby. I'm with you." He pounded, fast and hard, and stroked her clit.

"Oh, God, yes, El!" Olivia yelled, letting go, tightening and vibrating around him.

Elliot cursed, grunted, and cried her name, spilling into her. He held onto her, holding her as the water slowed its splashing around them. He heard Olivia let out a soft chuckle as she peppered his chest with kisses. "We're having a real wedding tomorrow, baby," he whispered, laughing back.

"I know," Olivia said. "You don't have to remind me.

"Then we're spending a wonderful week in Bora Bora," Elliot said, kissing her forehead as he tried to control his breathing.

Olivia nodded, taking a breath. "I can't wait."

"Liv?" Elliot asked, stroking her hair back. He waited until she picked up her head and looked into his eyes, then he said, "I wanna have a baby."

"So do I, El," Olivia said, smiling. "You know I do."

Elliot smirked. He pecked her on the lips, three times, and said, "Now."

**A/N: Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts and your support through this difficult time. You are more than just readers and fellow writers. You are truly my friends, I am so thankful that you've all been here for me. =) Next chapter: How does Olivia react to that? And the wedding!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Wedding. Or is it? **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and its characters, the story you are reading, though, is the sole property of TStabler©**

"Olivia," a voice, sounding far, far, away, called to her.

She couldn't turn around. She couldn't respond. She was staring into the mirror, running her fingers down the vintage lace of her dress. Her wedding dress. What the fuck? How the hell did that happen? "I can't get married," she mumbled.

"Too late," the same voice said. "You're already married, Misses Stabler, this is just the show for the friends and family, and half the cops in the city."

"I got married," Olivia said, staring at her reflection, "Because I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't have time to process what this means. It didn't feel real before," she explained. "Now it does. It feels way too fucking real."

The other girls in the room with her stared at her in shock. She couldn't do this now. "Listen to me," the woman who'd been talking to her, Alex, cried. "Olivia, do you hear yourself?"

"He wants kids," Olivia mumbled, slipping the dusty rose, satin sash between her fingers. "He wants kids with me. Who the hell would want kids with me? I don't know what I'd be passing on! What if my father gave me some sort of weird genetic disorder? I could have a baby with four legs, or nine eyes. Or what if he was a carrier for some incurable disease that i would be sticking my child with? Oh, God! My mother hated me, Alex! What if I have the baby and I turn into my mother?" She shook her head. "I can't have his baby, I can't have any babies. He wants them. A lot of them. Now. Right the fuck now, and I just can't bring a baby into my screwed up world. I can't do that to the poor, little thing."

"Calm down, Olivia," Alex said. "You trust him, and you love him. That's what this is about. You need to breathe, Olivia!"

"Mom?" Lizzie's voice cried out.

Olivia turned sharply.

"Mom, you're nervous. That's all that this is, you know that. You love Daddy, and he loves you, that's why you didn't hate him in the morning, that's why you didn't run away then. Don't run away now. You won't just be leaving him," she said with tears in her eyes. "You'd be leaving the four of us, too. And we already had one mother that did that, please don't make it two."

Olivia looked at the tiny blonde, in her dusty pink dress. "You called me Mom," she said, surprised. Up until that moment, it had only been something she heard them say once in a while. This time, she felt it when Lizzie called her "Mom." It snapped something in her.

"You're my Mom," Lizzie said, taking a step closer.

Olivia sniffled. "I'm not," she said.

"You are," Kathleen, in a dress that matched Lizzie's, said. "You are the most amazing Mom any kid could have. You may not have given birth to us, I mean with those hips you certainly didn't have four kids, but you are definitely our mother."

Maureen, her dress blowing lightly as she stood in front of the fan, asked, "Did you really mean it? Are you really going to walk away from this? From us? From Daddy? You're Olivia Benson! You are the strongest, bravest person I've ever met, you aren't supposed to get scared."

Alex smiled, and turned to Olivia. "Listen to your daughters, Olivia. What are you gonna do?"

Olivia turned back to the mirror, looked at her reflection once more, and said, "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't go out there and marry your father? Again."

A collective sigh of relief was expended, and Lizzie hugged Olivia tightly. "I love you, Mom," she said.

"I love you too, sweetie," Olivia replied, closing her eyes.

"Come on, Misses Stabler," Alex said, smiling. "Let's go put on a show for these people."

Olivia chuckled, sniffing away the urge to cry, and nodded.

* * *

"Stop worryin' man," Fin said, watching Elliot pace back and forth. "She's prob'ly just fixin' her hair, or throwin' up or somethin', man."

"She's running," Elliot said. "I can feel it. I knew I never should have…me and my big fucking mouth."

"Man, she ain't runnin'," Fin said. "Calm yourself. She can't run, you're married. And what did you say to her?"

Elliot sighed. "I told her I wanted a baby."

"She wants kids, you know she does," Munch said, trying to calm Elliot.

"I told her I wanted one now," Elliot said. "Right fucking now. I was pretty damn insistent, actually. I think we may have made a baby last night, to be honest, I was so damn persistant."

"I don't need to hear this," Dickie said, plugging his ears.

"I pushed her," Elliot said. "I knew she was handling this all too fucking well," he griped. The priest glared at him for using foul language, and Elliot nodded an apology.

The conversation and pacing stopped when the back doors opened. Lizzie, Kathleen and Maureen walked down the aisle, tossing yellow and pink rose petals, followed by his sister, Melinda and Alex. Then, Elliot held his breath as he saw Cragen moving slowly, with Olivia beside him. She looked breathtaking. Elliot let himself cry. He defied anyone to give him shit about it today.

Olivia took one look at him, his tear streaked face, his smile, the love shining brightly in his eyes, and every doubt or fear she'd had only moments ago slipped away. It was as if someone had finally woken her up; she was right where she belonged.

* * *

"Everyone is staring at us," Olivia said, trying to hide her head in Elliot's shoulder.

Elliot laughed. "We just got married, again, and we look pretty damn hot," he said with a slightly conceited tone. "We had dinner, did a few corny line dances, and now we are dancing to our wedding song. Not Jailhouse Rock, you'll notice."

Olivia chuckled. "But that's no reason to stare at us."

"Of course they're staring, baby, we're the only ones on the floor," Elliot said, turning them around in time with the melody. "this is our moment, the one we missed the first time."

Olivia smirked and rolled her eyes. "It's still very uncomfortable," she said, catching the flashbulbs out of the corner of her eyes. "Man, the chief wasn't kidding about us being in the Times, was he?"

"Nope," Elliot said, grinning, spinning her around. "We're big news, baby. Two detectives, who deal with the worst kind of crime, have been able to defy the odds and find true love and happiness."

"Okay, where did you come up with that shit, Stabler?" Olivia asked, laughing as he dipped her.

"I read the write up," Elliot said, winking. "It's true, though," he added, lifting her back into his arms. "We defied the odds. We woke up in Vegas, naked, wearing nothing but rings, and we made it stick."

Olivia nuzzled his nose. "Just so we're clear, you will remember everything this time, right?"

"Every detail," Elliot said, sealing it with a kiss. "You?"

"Every single second," Olivia told him, smiling brightly. Their song ended and the DJ announced that the bride and groom would be tossing the garter and bouquet. Elliot wagged his eyebrows, and pulled Olivia over to the center of the floor. He eased her into the chair Fin had brought out and he got down on his knees in front of her. He shot her a hot look, keeping his eyes on hers as his hands swooped under her dress and skimmed up her legs. He took his time, running his hands up higher, past the garter, teasing the waist on her white silk panties.

Olivia's eyes widened, and she watched Elliot's narrow and darken. He allowed his fingers to trail lightly over her, over her underwear, teasing her, on their way back to grab the garter. He then smirked, evilly, and lifted her dress up a bit more. His head disappeared underneath it and the people watching whooped and hollered.

Olivia gasped as she felt Elliot trailing light kisses up and down her legs, then he grabbed the garter with his teeth, slid it down, lifted Olivia's leg a bit to tug it off of her foot. He rose to his feet with the pretty blue lace band dangling out of his mouth. He dropped it into his hand and winked at his wife. She chuckled at him and shook his head, watching as he twirled the garter around his finger. The men stood in a group behind him and he sent it zooming over his head. It landed on Fin's head.

Elliot laughed, and held out his hand to Olivia, who took it. He pulled her up and Alex walked over, handing her the dusty pink and yellow roses she'd carried down the aisle with her. She looked at Elliot sadly, and said, "I don't wanna throw it, El."

"You'll get it back, Liv," Elliot laughed. "Turn around, take a deep breath, and let it fly."

Olivia sighed, turned around, and closed her eyes. She made a wish, a very personal one, and lifted her arm, but then she turned around to face the girls. She tossed it like a football, right to Melinda, who caught it and looked at Olivia knowingly. Olivia made a small hand gesture and gave Melinda a closed eyed, smirk. Melinda laughed and threw it back. Laughter erupted, and Olivia threw it into the crowd again, this time it was caught by Elliot's sister Allison, and she, too, tossed it back. To her brother.

"Are we really playing catch right now?" Elliot asked, laughing, tossing the tied bundle of flowers into the sea of people, now more than just the wedding party. Ed Tucker caught it, raised an eyebrow, and threw it, not to Elliot or Olivia, but to Cragen. The flowers went sailing back and forth across the room.

"I think they're having fun," Olivia said, turning toward Elliot.

"You're amazing," Elliot said, turning to her. "Only you could find a way to get two hundred people to play catch at a wedding," he laughed. He kissed her and held her in his arms, swaying to music that no one could hear.

Sitting in a corner, silently weeping, Casey Novak looked at them, watched them, knowing that they were both everything she fantasized about. Then she looked toward Fin, who was having the time of his life tossing flowers into the air with Melinda by his side, and she cried some more. She had given him up, lost him, over something so stupid. She lost everything because she wanted something she knew she could never have, including her job.

She got to her feet and, on shaky legs, walked over to Olivia and Elliot, who were still kissing in front of the chair.

"Olivia," she said meekly.

Olivia and Elliot stopped kissing, and they both turned to her, their demeanor instantly changing. "What are you doing here?" Elliot seethed, gripping tighter to Olivia.

"I wanted to…I didn't want to miss this," Casey said pitifully. "I know I've been a complete bitch. I went a little off the deep end. But if you'll just see where I'm coming from, you…Olivia, wouldn't you have done anything to get with Elliot?"

Olivia went slack-jawed. "No, Casey! Not until…I didn't hit on him relentlessly, I didn't seduce him, he was married! It took a night of fighting and drinking to get me to even admit out loud how much I really loved him. See, normal people, they know when to keep things to themselves."

"And they know when to give up," Elliot added. "You took things way too far, Casey," he said.

"Can you forgive me?" Casey asked. "I'm not with sex crimes anymore, so we won't be working together, and I told Tucker I was lying. He knew it anyway. So, I'm not asking for you to forget what I did, because you can't. I can't. Fin can't. No one can. I'm just asking you to…at least think about…I miss you guys. I really do," she said, looking down. "You know how to find me," she said, handing Elliot a card, sending another glance to Olivia.

Olivia and Elliot stood, watching Casey walking away, out of the reception, and, at least for the moment, out of their lives.

**A/N: Will they have a honeymoon baby? Or will there be trouble a brewin' for them in Bora Bora? Click, make it nice and loud, and you shall receive!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: The first bit of their honeymoon is almost overshadowed by trouble at home. Almost. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns L&O:SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns this story. Nothing may be used or taken. If you want it, ask for it. =) **

"You're a nervous wreck, baby," Elliot said, rubbing Olivia's shoulders as they waited to board their flight. "Calm down. I know you hate flying, but I'm gonna be right next to you, like always. You got through the flights to and from Vegas, baby. I was right there, only this time I can, uh, really distract you." He wiggled his eyebrows and kissed the back of her neck. "And if the plane crashes, at least we'll go down together."

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm kidding, honey," Elliot laughed. "We're gonna be fine."

Olivia moaned when Elliot squeezed a particularly hard knot. As he worked it out, her moans got lower and softer, and she leaned back into him. "Incredible," she mumbled.

"Let it go, Liv," Elliot whispered to her. "All this tension, just let it go. Drop it, breathe, relax." He squeezed and rubbed his way down her arms, kissing her neck and the back of her head. He felt her relax, felt the tension melt away, and said, "That's my girl."

Olivia dropped her head back to his shoulder, moaning lightly. "We should have gotten drunk and stupid years ago," she chuckled.

"We got drunk together a million times," Elliot said. "Nothing ever happened. What was different in Vegas?"

"I never let myself get completely trashed," Olivia confessed. "I didn't trust myself with you. Now, I guess you know why."

Elliot laughed. "I thought it was just me," he whispered into her ear. "I never let myself go too far, either, because I knew…I knew I'd try something with you, I knew I'd go for it."

"Well, we certainly went for it, huh?" Olivia scoffed, stilling his hands and pulling them around her waist.

Elliot squeezed her gently, wrapping her up tighter. "We certainly did," he laughed. "We went a lot farther than I thought we would."

Olivia chuckled. "I never thought…I never thought we'd be here, like this."

"I did," Elliot said. "Okay, well, I mean I'd hoped we would, one day. I didn't think it'd be so soon. Ya know, I'm deliriously happy."

"Me, too," Olivia said with a sigh. "That can only mean one thing."

"Shit's gonna hit the fan in about five minutes," Elliot said, scoffing.

"You got it," Olivia chuckled.

Elliot kissed the top of her head and whispered, "It doesn't matter, you know."

"What doesn't?" Olivia asked, craning her neck to look at him.

Elliot kissed her lips. "Whatever shit we're about to get covered in, it doesn't matter. I've got you, Liv. I've got you, and our kids, and that's all that matters. All that will ever matter. Whatever we have to deal with, we can deal with it."

"You always know exactly what to say," Olivia said, kissing him.

"Yeah, I hired a team of writers," Elliot joked, kicking her. "They're damn good at what they do."

Olivia shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Fire whoever writes your jokes, you corndog," she teased, kissing him.

They heard the call for their flight, which was now boarding, and they rose, hand-in-hand, heading toward the gate.

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Jack McCoy asked, staring at a stern looking Casey Novak, who was nodding.

"Sir, I don't think you want to disregard this legal order," Casey said. "The files I requested, please."

McCoy sighed and handed Casey a stack of papers and filed. "Okay, I get it. These are SVU's open cases involving children defendants. Go. Before I change my mind and call Donnelly. You know, going private isn't going to be easy."

"I know, Jack," Casey said, nodding. "I am aware."

"Yeah," McCoy said. "Sorry it had to come to this, Casey, I just couldn't…"

"I know," Casey interrupted. "Godbye sir."

McCoy gave her a curt nod, and as she left he'd wondered if he made a horribly tragic mistake.

* * *

Olivia was leaning back in her reclining seat, with Elliot wrapped around her. The pillows beneath them were soft and fluffy, the blanket around them was warm and comfortable, shielding them from the too-cold air conditioning flowing through the plane's cabin. The tray laid out in front of them had a bowl of strawberries and two glasses of sparkling grape juice, just in case Olivia was pregnant, or would become so on this trip. Elliot was kissing, caressing, loving her. Yes, First Class was filled with amazing things.

"Liv," Elliot whispered, sliding his hand lower beneath the blanket, over her stomach.

"El," Olivia said back, expecting him to start talking.

Instead, she felt the tug of the drawstring on her black sweats, she felt him snake his hand into the waistband, under the cotton. She felt him teasing her over her panties, and she felt warm wetness beginning to pool under his touch. She looked at him, slightly shocked, but he was looking back at her with a look of pure determination. He held her gaze as his fingers worked under the silk and grazed over her waxed, slick, slit. He leaned closer, just as her lips parted, and said, "Shh. Quiet."

Olivia's eyes widened as Elliot chuckled. She closed them, though, as she felt a finger slid up and into her. Elliot, knowing, moved his body closer, over hers, and kissed her deeply as his hand moved, working its magic.

Olivia cupped his face, ran her hands over his head and down his back, feeling confident that they were completely covered by the blanket. She skirted her hand into his pants, into his boxers, and he gasped and jerked slightly, but didn't break the kiss. He mumbled and shook his head, but Olivia, still kissing him, chuckled and moaned into his mouth as she nodded.

Her hand moved, following the beat and the rhythm of his, and in moments, they were beyond worked up. Trying to stay quiet, holding onto each other, hands moving slowly but powerfully, and kissing. They never stopped kissing. Elliot swiped his thumb over her clit and she gasped. She ran her thumb over his tip and got the same reaction. They were both ready to explode. Elliot pulled her tighter to him and moved his fingers faster, harder, stilling the rest of his body's movements, holding her incredibly still except for her moving hand, to stay as discreet as possible. He felt her tighten around his hand, and he felt himself beginning to leak, and finally he just sighed into his wife's kiss and let go, with a soft moan of her name and tiny grunts. Olivia let go, then, too, biting his lips, sucking on his tongue, whispering a soft, "I love you."

"See?" Elliot chuckled, when they'd begun to calm down. "Flying isn't that bad. I think you had a harder time on the flight to Vegas."

"Yeah," Olivia said. "But I wasn't nervous about the flight, El. I was nervous about having to pretend to be your wife."

"Still nervous?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia shook her head. "Calmer than ever," she said, kissing him again. "I'm not pretending anymore. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," Elliot told her, keeping his forehead pressed to hers as they slowed their breathing and rapid heartbeats.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Fin asked, watching Casey enter the room.

"The Fogerty case," Casey said. "I need to see the files on it."

Fin shook his head. "That's Stabler's case. I can't get into his files."

"Try," Casey demanded.

"Look, you aren't even the prosecutor anymore, so why don't…"

"I'm the defense attorney, Fin," Casey said, her eyes gleaming. She held her hand out and said, "Casey Novak. Newest attorney at Henshall and Langan." She dropped her hand and marveled at the look on his face. "Now, if you could find someone in this incompetent department to get me that file, that would be great."

Fin got up and headed over to Cragen's office. He knocked, and when Cragen answered, Fin told him what Casey wanted, and why.

Cragen bit his bottom lip and shook his head before heading over to Elliot's desk. Using his master key, he opened the side drawer, searched for the Fogerty file, and then handed it to Casey.

"Thanks," Casey said cockily. "When you talk to Olivia and Elliot, tell them I'll see them in court, and they'd better be prepared. I'm not gonna go easy on them just because I used to work with them." She smirked, looked at Fin and said, "Lookin' good, Tutuola." She left, whistling.

"Who the hell was that?" Cragen asked, shocked.

"Olivia and Elliot's worst nightmare," Fin said, folding his arms. He sighed, heading back to his desk. He picked up his phone and sent Elliot a text message. He didn't want to ruin their honeymoon, but he didn't think he could keep this from them either.

* * *

Elliot got the text in the towncar taking them to their hotel. "Shit," he spat, snapping his phone shut.

"What?" Olivia asked, running her hands through his hair.

"Casey's working at Henshall and Langan now," Elliot said. "She's the defense attorney for Fogerty."

"She doesn't even have a case!" Olivia cried. "The evidence is solid! The boy raped and killed…"

"I know that," Elliot said, cutting her off as he linked his fingers with hers. "She's gonna put us through hell. Fin said she's got a huge chip on her shoulder."

"Well, it can stay there," Olivia said. "Or I'll knock it off for her. We know what she wants, and, I don't know about you, but I'm not giving it to her."

Elliot cringed. "Baby," he said, turning to face her, "I have two brothers and two sisters. I hated sharing then, and I hate it now. Some men may call me crazy, but I have no desire to sleep with another woman, or watch you do it."

"I didn't think you did," Olivia said, putting her hand on the cardoor handle, noticing they were pulling up to their hotel. Or, what was supposed to be a hotel. "Elliot," she gasped.

"Like it?" Elliot asked, getting out and running around to help her out of the car.

"Like it?" Olivia scoffed. "This is gorgeous! I thought we were staying…"

"I only told you that so this would be a surprise," Elliot interrupted. "No one is staying here but us, the beach is sectioned off, this villa is completely private."

"My God, Stabler," Olivia said in wonderment, "You're absolutely amazing."

"So are you, Stabler," Elliot said, smirking as he kissed her. They got their luggage out of the trunk and headed inside, Elliot using the key off of his keyring.

"How do you already have the key?" Olivia asked.

Elliot cleared his throat. "Well, uh, the realtor gave it to me when I, uh, bought the place."

"Oh," Olivia said, watching him open the door. "That makes sense, but I…wait a second. What? Bought it?"

Elliot threw the luggage into the villa's foyer, and then scooped Olivia into his arms, and carried her over the threshold. "Yeah, I bought it. We have a place to come back to, Liv. Every summer with the kids, or if you and I ever need to just get away alone. It wasn't expensive, and it doesn't cost that much to fly out here."

"Oh, El," Olivia sighed as she looked around. "This is…that is...wow."

"Okay, I need to mark this in my calendar," Elliot chuckled. "Today's the day that I made Olivia Stabler speechless," he said, kissing her.

Olivia chuckled. "It's wonderful," she said. "How? Why? When?"

"The realtor was based in New York, so I called him and went to see him on a lunch break," Elliot explained. "I already told you why, and, uh, when we came home."

"From where?" Olivia asked, still cradled in his arms, her hands wrapped behind his neck.

Elliot kissed her and said, "From Vegas."

Olivia smirked, pulled his head toward hers, and kissed him. She couldn't believe he'd bought them a villa in Bora Bora, planning to take her here, almost as soon as they'd gotten married. His wedding gift to her. "Where's the bedroom, baby?" she asked.

"There are five," Elliot said, smiling against her lips. "Closest one is down the hall to the left."

"Take me there," Olivia demanded, "And make me a mommy."

Elliot chuckled. "With pleasure, my love," he said as he carried her into the bedroom, and tried vary hard to do just that.

**A/N: Does it work? Do they get their honeymoon baby? And what sinister force has taken over Casey? What will Trevor do about it? Answers if you click and review! Follow TStabler on Twitter TMG212**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: CHAPTER 20! Thank you all for keeping this story going! Do they get their honeymoon baby? And what is going on at home? **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns L&O:SVU and its characters. TStabler© owns this story. Nothing may be used or taken. If you want it, ask for it. =)**

"Dickie," Maureen said, walking into the living room, "Are you really okay with this whole Dad and Liv thing?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" the boy returned, struggling with his game controller, making faces at the zombies he was killing.

"You don't think they're making a monumental mistake?" Maureen asked.

Dickie shook his head. "I'm not exactly thrilled they got drunk and got married in Vegas, I'm not happy that they made us hide what they did for so long, but I'm very happy it was Mom. And I'm happy she's...my mother, now, ya know? Like I feel like I have one, for the first time, ever."

"Mom, uh, Kathy wasn't that bad," Maureen said, sighing.

Kathleen scoffed. "Kathy sucked," she said. "She was always accusing dad of something he wasn't doing, she was always trying to turn us against Olivia, she never cared who we were with or what was happening because she was trying to prove that since Dad didn't care she shouldn't either."

"That's not fair," Maureen said.

"It's the truth!" Kathleen yelled. "You saw Kathy at the wedding! She was with her boyfriend but she was glaring at Mom and Dad as if she wanted them to blow up!"

Maureen sighed and sat down. "Look, all I'm saying is, Dad and Liv...Mom...they made a mistake in Vegas, and they've been desperately trying to get everyone to see that it wasn't. What if they're just not admitting they were stupid? What if they're hiding the fact that they both think it really was a mistake?"

Dickie stopped playing and put down his controller, turning to Maureen. "You're serious about this," he said, sounding like his father.

Maureen bit her lip and nodded. "You heard Mom in the room before the wedding, Katie. You heard her doubt, and her fear, and you heard her freak out. Those were real feelings. What if she feels like that next week? Next month? What if one day we wake up and she's gone?"

"That will never happen," Lizzie said, coming into the room. "Mom just freaked out a little because all brides do. Uncle Fin told me Dad was freaking out, too, but they both calmed down, didn't they? Think about it, Mo. Have you ever seen Dad so happy?"

Maureen smiled a bit and shook her head.

Lizzie smirked. "And have any of you seen Mom smile the way she does now, with us and Daddy?"

They all shook their heads.

"Have any of us ever been this happy? Lizzie asked, looking at each of her siblings. "No, we haven't. This is how it's supposed to be. With Mom and Dad, married, together. WHo cares how it happend? Just as long as it did."

"You're right," Maureen breathed on a sigh, smiling and nodding.

Lizzie scoffed. "I know I am. Now, can the three of you get off of your butts and help me up there? The crib won't put itself together."

* * *

Elliot rolled over, sighing, but popped up when he felt the emptiness in the bed next to him. "Honey?" he called into the night. He saw her silhouette, bathed in moonlight, on the balcony. He stepped out and wrapped his arms around her. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Why aren't you in bed with me?"

Olivia sighed, staring up at the moon. "I was just thinking," she said. "About us. How this all happened."

"Thinking good things, I hope," Elliot chuckled, kissing the back of her head. "I know this isn't how you planned it..."

"I didn't plan it at all, El," Olivia sighed. "It just happened, and I'm standing here, staring at a full-moon in Bora Bora with you. My husband, my best friend, my partner, father of my future children, and I'm happy, for the first time in my life. I just..." she paused, letting the island breeze hit her, and closed her eyes. "I'm happy, incredibly happy. Thank you," she said.

Elliot turned her around. "For what, Liv?"

"Marrying me," Olivia said, smirking, knowing she was repeating something he had said to her. "Twice," she continued, "And not thinking it was a mistake either time."

Elliot chuckled as he kissed her, running his hands lovingly and slowly down her body. "You will never have to thank me for that," he whispered, kissing her. "Oh, uh, I talked to Cragen. He called Trevor. He's not gonna let Casey get away with anything," he told her, kissing her. "He told us not to worry. He'd keep her in line." He dropped his head to kiss her again and grinned when she wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss, the connection.

"I thought we weren't gonna talk about work this week," Olivia mumbled against his lips.

"That wasn't work," Elliot said, still kissing her. Through a partially open mouth, his tongue searching for hers, he muttered, "That was personal." He wrapped himself around her and pulled, bringing her back into the bedroom.

Olivia pushed him off of her and onto the bed, crawling onto him as she pulled off her robe. "Don't talk at all," she whispered.

Elliot simply looked at her like a hungry, rabid wolf and shrugged one shoulder.

"Good boy," Olivia said, smirking, as she tugged down his pants. Elliot, not one for being the submissive, smirked back at her as he grabbed her hips and flipped her over. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossed it to the floor, and held her down as he pushed into her slowly, feeling the tightness and stretch he always felt. He peered down at her, she was looking right into his eyes with a look of intense pleasure on her face, and he dropped his head to kiss her. Still not talking. She made the rule, now she'd have to deal with it.

* * *

"It's so hard to believe that where Mom and Dad are, it's still yesterday," Dickie said, rolling yellow paint onto the wall.

"Actually," Lizzie said, "It's this morning. It's four in the morning in Bora Bora," she said.

Dickie rolled his eyes. "Whatever, smart alec, it's still not today yet! They aren't awake," he proclaimed.

Maureen and Kathleen were on the floor, trying to read the directions to the crib. "Insert part A into hole one," Maureen read. "This sounds so dirty!"

Kathleen laughed and rolled her eyes. "You just have a dirty mind," she said, screwing the first wooden leg into the base, as directed.

"My parents are sex-crimes detectives," Maureen said. "My mind is eternally dirty."

"What's next, loser?" Kathleen asked.

A male voice from the doorway said, "The other three legs, I'm guessing."

"Uncle Munch!" Lizzie cried, clambering off the ladder to hug him.

Munch grinned. "Yeah, Dickie told me what you guys were up to when I called to check on you, and we had to come help you out."

Fin put down the box of donuts he was carrying. "This is really cool of you guys," he said, picking up a paintbrush.

Alex, putting down the coffee, said, "Your parents are really lucky to have you guys."

"No," Dickie said, rolling away. "We're the lucky ones."

Cragen, hauling a large box into the room with the help of Trevor. "We got some things that Dickie said you were missing and couldn't afford," the captain said.

"Changing table, rocking chair, and a bookcase," Trevor said. "And my lovely Alex, over there, went a little overboard with things to put in the bookcase."

Fin looked at Maureen. "How do you guys know she's having a baby?" he asked, dipping the brush into the paint and staring on a clean wall.

"We just have this feeling," Maureen said. "We know they were talking about it, and they're spending this entire week alone, on a French Polynesian island," she said, smirking. "Mom is totally coming back pregnant."

Cragen looked around. "Well, we only have six days to make this room into a nursery. You girls sure you don't mind sharing a room?"

"We've done it before," Kathleen said. "It was harder when we were younger, but...it's not gonna be a problem now. We're willing to sacrifice our personal space for this baby."

Lizzie laughed and nodded. "We even got a bunk bed, so the room isn't any smaller than it was. And we've managed to split the closet and dresser space equally."

"Where did you guys get the money for all of this?" Munch asked, helping Trevor put together the changing table.

Dickie looked at his sisters, then back at his surrogate grandfather. "We haven't spent any money, or at least not a lot of it, since Mom and Dad came back from Vegas."

"We wanted to get them a wedding gift, but we never got around to it," Maureen said, shrugging.

"So we used the money we saved to make Maureen's room into a nursery," Kathleen continued. "Hopefully, they won't be too upset."

"Upset?" Alex questioned. "Honey, they're gonna cry, but it won't be because they're upset."

The room filled with laughter, as the extended family painted and put furniture together, preparing for an addition they weren't even sure existed.

* * *

"I love you," Olivia whispered, nuzzling into Elliot's chest as she crawled back into the bed after using the bathroom.

"That's a relief," Elliot said with a chuckle. "I'd hate to think I blew twenty grand on a villa in paradise for a woman who only kind of liked me," he joked.

Olivia chuckled as she pulled the blanket tighter around her and Elliot. she shivered a bit as she inched closer to her husband.

"Cold?" Elliot asked, pulling her closer to him.

"Well, gee, El," Olivia said. "I'm naked, sweaty, and lying in a featherbed near an open window, which is letting cool ocean breezes into the room. I'm a little chilly, yes."

Elliot chuckled and yawned, pulling her even closer and rolling them onto their sides, his body shielding her from the breeze. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," Olivia said, nodding into his chest. "I could do this, nothing but this, for the rest of my life."

"So could I, baby," Elliot said. "Holding you like this is definitely my favorite pastime. Well, second favorite. My first is making love to you."

Olivia looked up into his eyes. "Mine, too," she said with a smirk. She kissed him, lovingly, then pulled away and nuzzled his nose. As her head fell back down to his chest, she yawned.

"We should be probably be sleeping," Elliot said, yawning as well.

Olivia nodded against his skin, half gone already. "Baby?" she mumbled, asking him something.

Elliot, with heavily lidded eyes, said, "Hmm?" as he brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.

Olivia smiled as she tilted her head up to kiss him. She snuggled closer to him and, with her eyes closed, she whispered, "I'm pregnant."

**A/N: How will Elliot react? Was he already asleep? What else do the kids do to that nursery, and who surprises them with help and something that they really had forgotten? Coming up, if you want it! Review! Leave me a tweet on Twitter TMG212**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Was he asleep? Did he hear her? What else do the kids do to that nursery, and who surprises them with help and something that they really had forgotten? **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

Olivia looked up at his closed eyes, his smiling face. She kissed his lips lightly. "El," she said. "Baby, I just told you I'm pregnant."

Elliot caressed her back softly, letting out a soft. "Mmm hmm."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, mentally counting to three, and smirked when, on three-and-a-half, his eyes shot open and he looked right at her, wide-eyed, shocked, and said, "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Olivia teased, "Or you wouldn't be having this little panic attack right now."

"No," Elliot said, sitting up, shaking the sleep out of his eyes, "Tell me again. I need to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

Olivia laughed, took his face in her hands, and held him steady. She gave him a soft kiss. "We're," she said. She gave him another tender kiss as she said, "Having." She pecked the end of his nose, saying, "A." She dropped her forehead to his, looking right into his eyes, still cupping his face. She watched a tear roll down his cheek as she whispered, "Baby."

Elliot slowly brought his hands up to her face, wiping away her own falling tears. He chuckled as he said, "We're having a baby."

Olivia nodded, keeping her forehead pressed against his. She laughed and let out a tiny squeal when Elliot found strength from somewhere and flipped her over onto her back. "What are you doing?" she asked, chuckling, sniffling,

"What do you think I'm doing, honey?" Elliot asked, running his hands over her body. "My favorite pastime," he mumbled, kissing his way up her naked body.

Olivia noticed something different in his kisses. They were, if it was possible, which she didn't think it was, more emotional than they'd been. "I though you were tired," she whispered, running an affected hand through his short hair.

"Never too tired for you," Elliot said, kissing further, higher, reaching her chest, taking a nipple into his mouth. "For this," he whispered sucking around the hardened bud. He let it go with a small pop, then moved up, meeting her eye-to-eye, his tip playing at her entrance, teasing. "For us," he said, looking intently into her still-watering eyes. His right hand skimmed down her body, worked between them, and came to rest on her stomach. He caressed her belly lovingly and said, "Baby," very softly, right before he smiled and kissed her.

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck, looked back into his soul-swallowing blue orbs as he pushed into her, and let herself get lost in him and his touch.

* * *

"Dickface!" Maureen yelled, "It's crooked!"

Dickie sighed, covered in paint and wallpaper-paste, as he turned to his sister. "It's a baby, Maury Povich! It's not gonna care!"

"But Mom and Dad are!" Kathleen yelled. "Fix it!"

Dickie huffed as he pulled the Baby Looney Tunes border off of the wall. "Why do I have to do this?"

Trevor, with a can of stain and a brush, staining the bookcase to match the rest of the furniture, said, "Because you said, 'Oh, hey, I wanna put up the border."

"Are you always such a lawyer?" Dickie asked, rolling his eyes.

Alex, laughing, answered for him. "Yes, he is," she said. The doorbell rang, then. Fin put down his paintbrush and said, "It's probably Melinda. I'll get it."

"How many people do you think we can fit in this room?" Munch yelled after him, peering over his shades.

Cragen looked at Munch with a screwdriver in his hand and asked, "Why the hell are you always wearing those damn sunglasses? We're inside, if you haven't noticed."

Munch looked back at Cragen, stunned, and said, "I'm shielding my eyes from the government's experimental, mind-altering rays, given off by fluorescent lights."

"I knew I shouldn't have asked," Cragen muttered, going back to putting the changing table together.

Fin came back into the room with Melinda as expected, but they both looked very uncomfortable. The woman who came in behind them told them all why.

"Casey, what the hell are you doing here?" Alex asked, anger dripping from her words.

* * *

Olivia didn't realize how tightly her eyes had been shut, or how hard her nails had been digging into Elliot's back, until she opened her eyes and felt actual pain. She threw her head back, marveling at the intensity of this moment. He wasn't working harder, or faster, than normal, but there was more raw, pure emotion between them. It felt, if she was remembering correctly, like the first time they'd ever been together, in Vegas.

Elliot felt the same thing, moving slowly, never breaking contact completely but making sure each stroke brought him all the way back in, no matter how far out he'd gone. He brushed her sweaty hair back and dropped his head to kiss her, feeling his whole body burn and every muscle tense. "Holy shit," he mumbled, screwing his eyes shut.

"Elliot," Olivia groaned, a long, drawn out cry of his name. Almost whining, she said it again.

Elliot felt as if his whole body was on fire, ready to let go, but he couldn't stop, couldn't let go. "Fucking Christ, Liv," he moaned, sounding like a growl. He grabbed one of her legs and hiked it up higher on his body, dropping his forehead to hers, looking into her eyes and breathing hard as he hit into her, over and over again. He kept running his hands over her head, over her face, kissing her frantically. He felt her tighten around him and his eyes rolled back into his head. "God, baby," he whispered.

Olivia held him down to her, tightly as she convulsed and pressed her lips to his to muffle her cries, though in a private villa, she didn't need to. She kissed him, deeply, clutching him tightly. She heard him grunting and felt him moving in shorter faster thrusts.

"Olivia," Elliot grunted against her lips, spilling into her, thrusting through incredible tightness, holding onto her, feeling the most incredible release of pressure. "God, baby," he breathed, panting, trying to calm them both down. He rolled them over, this time knowing Olivia would be thankful for the breeze filtering through the window, and he said, "I love you."

Olivia, breathing heavily as she rested on his chest, with him still inside of her, said a very breathy, "I love you, honey."

"I love this baby, too, ya know," Elliot panted, skimming his fingers over the sides of Olivia's body. "Probably only the size of a thumbtack, and I love the little life inside of you more than anything, baby. You, this baby, our kids at home, you're my life, Liv. My whole life."

"A life we never would have had if we hadn't gotten drunk and stupid in Vegas," Olivia said with a laugh, kissing his sweaty, muscular chest.

"Nah, baby," Elliot said, brushing her damp hair back. "We may have gotten drunk. Stupid? No way." He bent his head, kissed the crown of Olivia's, then said, "And we would have had this life. It would have taken us too long to get here, and it wouldn't have been this exciting, but we would have gotten here eventually. You have to believe that."

Olivia sighed as she snuggled into him, loving the way his body molded against hers perfectly. "I believe you," she whispered.

Elliot kissed her again, then he held her tightly to him as they both finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Casey stood, staring at the room full of people, and shrugged with a sigh. "I have been acting like a giant child having a massive temper tantrum."

"That's for damn sure," Fin spat.

Casey looked at him sadly, cringing when she saw Melinda in his arms. "I've been a jerk, I know that. I, uh, heard from some of the people at the office where you went, Alex, and I wanted to bring some things over. And help." She dropped two large boxes gently to the floor, then looked up at Dickie. "Hey, uh, little Stabler, could you use a little help with that?"

"Could I ever!" Dickie cried with a grin, jumping off the ladder.

Casey laughed and climbed up, smoothing out the border, making it perfectly straight.

"Okay, call me cynical," Trevor said, "But you spent the last three days, trying to screw with one of their highest-profile cases, the months before that treating them like shit for getting married, now you bring a box of picture frames and nursery decorations and want to help them prepare for Baby Stabler number five? I don't trust you, Novak."

Casey stepped off of the ladder to grab more of the border strip, then looked at Langan. "Olivia is...was...my best friend. I miss her. I was jealous, and I had no reason to be. What I wanted from them, deep down I knew was never gonna happen. Getting upset and angry about it cost me..." she paused and looked at Fin. "It cost me everything, it ruined my life. I just want to get my life back, and get my friends back."

Fin scoffed. "Never gonna happen," he muttered.

"I can try," Casey said, glaring at him. "I have to try. If I don't...I don't care that they may never forgive me, but I'll never forgive myself."

"We did it!" Maureen cried, interrupting Casey's pity speech, high-fiving her sister, Kathleen.

Cragen looked at the crib and sighed, imagining his little surrogate grandchild sleeping in it, and he said, "That looks beautiful girls."

Kathleen smirked with her arms folded, looking oddly like Olivia, and said, "We're good, huh?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth then the crib collapsed into a pile of wooden pieces. "You've gotta be kidding me," Maureen spat, her face falling into a Stabler scowl.

Munch sighed and looked at Trevor and Alex. "We're gonna need more coffee, guys," he said, kneeling down and starting to help Maureen and Kathleen rebuild the crib. He held up a bag and said, "You forgot the nuts."

"Actually," Lizzie said, looking around, "I think we've got all the nuts we need right here."

The group laughed as Melinda picked up a paintbrush to help fin, Alex left in search of more caffeine, Trevor continued to stain the bookcase, and the rest of the furniture was being built, correctly this time. Casey, from her ladder, looked down at the scene below and sighed. Olivia, having Elliot's baby, seemed right. It seemed natural. It seemed like she wanted to be a part of it. It seemed like Casey Novak had finally woken up. But, as they say, things aren't always as they seem.

**A/N: Is Casey up to something? A day on the beach of Olivia and Elliot is fluffy and a lil...uh...not so fluffy. (Ahem, wear your helmets kids.) Reviews are like beach towels. Soft, fluffy, and they keep the sand out of my bum. o..O Or something. Thank you for reading! Leave one here or at TMG212 on Twitter!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Is Casey up to something? A day on the beach of Olivia and Elliot is fluffy and a lil...uh...not so fluffy. (Ahem, wear your helmets kids.) **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

"I come bearing coffee!" Alex announced, putting the new container down in the corner. "It looks really good in here, guys!"

Maureen looked at the crib. "Yeah, the crib didn't fall down this time," she said.

Cragen chuckled. "We got it right, this time."

Dickie looked up. "And Miss Novak got the border up. It looks awesome."

"Actually, uh, I will be right back," Casey said. "I have to...uh...where is the bathroom?"

"Down the hall, third door on the left," Kathleen said.

"We're almost done. You can't wait?" Alex asked, still harboring a deep, deep feeling of dread. Casey was up to something. Something bad. She watched Casey shake her head and leave, a small smirk plastered on her face.

* * *

"Oh, oh, hello," Elliot mumbled, his eyes fluttering open. "We're doing this again, are we?" he asked, noticing Olivia kissing her way down his body. He noticed, then, the curtains were drawn, letting the morning sun in, there was a carafe of juice, two glasses, and some fresh fruit in a bowl on a tray near the bed as well. "Where are you going with this, hon...nevermind," he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut as she took him into her mouth. His fingers wound into her hair and he moaned her name softly, stroking the back of her head. "Damn baby, what are you..."

"Every two hours," Olivia said. "That's what you told me. That's the deal." She bent her head again, and listened to him chuckle as she sucked and licked, and felt a swell of pride as he moaned and groaned her name. She loved having such power over him, and she loved being the only woman that would ever have it again.

"I was, shit," Elliot grunted, his hips involuntarily bucking, "Kidding. I was teasing you, God damn, baby." He twisted her hair as he felt her suck a bit harder, that's when he knew she took him seriously, and she was determined to hold him to it.

* * *

"This isn't the bathroom," Alex said, folding her arms.

Casey turned. "Oh! Alex! Uh, I was..."

"This isn't even on the same floor as the guest bathroom, Casey. What are you doing down here?" Alex asked.

Casey closed the drawer she was fishing through and said, "Um...I was, I got a little lost and..."

"Shut up, Casey. Why the hell are you in their bedroom? What are you looking for, exactly?" Alex asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Casey sighed. "A sign. A clue. Evidence. He planned this, Alex," Casey said. "He knew they had they gig in Vegas, he got her drunk, he knew she would..."

"Oh, please! This, again?" Alex asked, annoyed. "Ya know what? So what, the fuck, if he did?"

"What?" Casey spat.

"If he did plan it, he was off his ass drunk, too," Alex said. "They both wanted this and you know it. If getting hammered was the only way to get it without being so afraid of it, then I should have handed them a fucking bottle of vodka years ago!"

Casey was shocked. "I can't believe..."

"They're happy," Alex said. "They are so fucking happy, Casey. Who cares if Elliot planned it? His plan worked, okay? Olivia wanted him, and we all know it! They are perfect together, they're starting a family, they don't need you making them feel like they made a mistake."

"They did," Casey said. "Why doesn't anyone see that? Elliot couldn't keep his first marriage together, what makes him think he can hold onto Olivia, who he only married because he was shitfaced in Vegas?"

Alex looked at Casey's hands. "What is that?" she asked. She took a step forward and reached for her hands, yanking. "You were planting...really?"

Casey's eyes widened. "No! I found them! Really!"

Alex held up the photos of Olivia and Trevor, looking only sort of happy. "I'm dating him, Casey! He had the only copies of these in his office, because Olivia gave them all back to him when they broke up. You were going to make Elliot think...it's time for you to leave, Casey."

Casey sighed. "I'm trying to protect her!"

"By destroying her life? This is the only man who has never hurt her, who has ever loved her as much and as completely...you still want them, don't you?" Alex asked, realizing. "If you make them fight, you can be their little revenge fling. That it?"

Casey was silent.

"Oh, my God," Alex cried. "Get out, Casey! Leave!" She grabbed Casey by the arm and pulled her out of the bedroom, toward the door. "Get out. Now!" she yelled, tossing Casey into the foyer. "Go!"

Casey turned, her hand resting on the door, and as she opened it she sighed. This was definitely getting back to Olivia and Elliot, and then there would definitley be no hope for her.

* * *

"I don't know where you think we're gonna get the energy for this," Elliot said, chewing on a slice of fresh melon, his other arm slung around Olivia as they lay on their balcony, covered by nothing except a light cotton sheet. "How did we end up out here, again?" he asked with a chuckle.

Olivia popped a fresh berry into her mouth and leaned her head back into Elliot's lap. "We rolled off the bed," she said. "You didn't stop, though. We, uh, kind of traveled. We made our way out here, and then you got up to get the food and came back."

"Well, I didn't think you could move," Elliot laughed as he kissed her.

"I couldn't," Olivia said, sipping her juice. "I still can't feel my legs."

Elliot chuckled as he bit into another melon slice and kissed her again. "This is amazing. This view, this place...this moment." He looked out at the horizon and sighed, brushing her hair back, lovingly caressing her as they basked in the morning sun and the pleasant afterglow of mind-blowing sex. "Liv," he said, looking down at her.

"Yeah?" Olivia questioned, peering up at him.

Elliot smiled at her. "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"Doesn't matter," Olivia said, chewing and shaking her head. "Healthy, and ours. Those are the only two things that matter."

"Okay, honest answer this time," Elliot said, laughing and sipping his juice. "I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about saying I would love another boy. Girls are wonderful, but seriously, I'm grossly outnumbered. I'm not saying I'm gonna be any less excited if it's a girl, I'm just warning you, you're gonna be a busy woman until I get that boy."

Olivia laughed heartily. "I think I'm gonna be busy either way," she said, reaching her hand up and popping a berry into Elliot's mouth. He winked and nodded as he chewed. "You wanted an honest answer, right?"

"I need you to always be honest with me, Liv, no matter what," Elliot said, pulling her up and wrapping her in his arms. "We made that promise the moment we became partners, and we made it again when we became husband and wife. Both times. Though, the first time, I'm pretty sure I also promised to be your hunk-a, hunk-a burnin' love for the rest of my life, and never step on your blue suede shoes. What the fuck were we thinking?" he laughed. He kissed her and looked into her eyes. "Tell me," he whispered.

"I'm not really sure what kind of mother I'm gonna be," Olivia said with a sigh. "I wasn't even sure I wanted kids until...until I met you, and when my mother died, I promised myself if and when I became a mother, I would do everything she didn't do ten times better than she would have. I honestly do not care if this baby is a boy, girl, one of each, it doesn't matter. I just want to be a good mother, El."

"You're gonna be, baby," Elliot said, kissing her. "Hell, you already are. Fabulous." He kissed her again and smiled as he felt Olivia relax into the kiss. "I love you, Liv," he whispered against her lips, tugging on the sheet and pulling her down on top of him as he leaned back. He pulled away from the kiss and looked up at the sky, reached up for a slice of melon, and held it to Olivia. "You are an incredible mother."

Olivia bit the melon, smiling. "Well, the ones I'm currently mothering are already half-raised," she said with a light snicker. "This little one," she said, resting a hand over her sheet covered belly, "Is gonna be you and me from the beginning, and I'm gonna be clueless. You need to..."

"You know I'm gonna be right here, with you, every step of the way," Elliot assured her. "You will not be doing a single thing on your own."

"Good, because I can't," Olivia said, chuckling. She tilted her head and kissed him, her hands instantly cupping his face. "I've realized that about myself in the past eight months, El. I really couldn't do this without you. I couldn't be someone else's wife, I couldn't have someone else's child. I could never be someone else's partner."

"Okay, you need to stop talking," Elliot said, kissing her. "I don't wanna think about you being any of those things, ever. You are my wife, the mother of my children, and my partner, and that is never gonna change. So you never have to worry about it. We never have to worry about it." He took a deep breath and sighed as he heard the sea gulls and the waves crashing. "We don't have to worry about anything right now."

"Sunburn," Olivia said, running her hand down his body under the sheet. "We rolled out here without putting on any sunscreen."

Elliot chuckled. He looked at her, narrowed his eyes, and pulled the sheet all the way over them, laughing as he rolled on top of her, kissing her and slipping inside of her, oblivious to the surprises waiting for them at home.

**A/N: More of Bora Bora? Does Alex give Casey a piece of her mind? Find out soon! Oh! A response to a particular reviewer...if anyone is annoyed at my lack of updates (o..O what?) I'm sorry? I write as the ideas come. I do not write _for_ reviews, I write for the _story_, and because I want to, but I won't continue a story if there is no interest. I have a case of writer's block on a few stories, which is why a few have not been updated lately. When the ideas hit, they will be up'd. Promise. Love to you all! **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Their last night in Bora Bora, Elliot gets an interesting phone call at the airport, and when they get home, they're faced with a few surprises. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

"This is still so hard to believe," Olivia said, gazing over the balcony. She had a knee-length silk robe on, and nothing else.

"What is?" Elliot asked, his arms around her.

"We have never once, for a single second, felt like this was a mistake," Olivia said, leaning back into him. "How come?"

Elliot dropped a kiss to her forehead and his hands spread out over her body, he was silently caressing the new life inside of her. "We have been partners, friends..."

"Best friends," Olivia said, her hands looping through his.

"Yeah," Elliot chuckled. "For so long, that, uh, in a way, I guess we were already used to the idea of being married, since it felt like we were half the time."

"All the time," Olivia scoffed. "The fighting, the making up, the dinners, the fact that..."

"I spent more time with you than my ex, and I honestly didn't care," Elliot said, inhaling Olivia's scent, lightly blended with the salty ocean air.

Olivia moaned, relaxing into Elliot's arms, and she let her eyes close. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," Elliot said, turning her around. "It's our last night in this house, baby." He kissed her lips softly. "What do you wanna do?"

Olivia brought her arms up around Elliot's neck, kissing him. "Make love to my incredibly romantic, sexy partner," she said, smirking.

"Husband," Elliot chuckled.

"Same thing," Olivia whispered against his lips, pushing him into the bedroom. Elliot laughed as Olivia shoved his flannel pants down, and he stepped out of the.

They collapsed onto the mattress, Elliot flattened out, and Olivia straddled him.

Olivia gave Elliot a mischievous look, biting her bottom lip seductively, and untied her robe.

Elliot skimmed his hands up her body and helped her slide the silk off, and he gazed at her naked body, amazed. "You're mine," he whispered. "Really, completely mine."

Olivia nodded, moving over him. "All yours," she said, looking into his eyes. She shifted and moved, guiding him into her, and her head fell back as Elliot's eyes closed and they both groaned in pleasure and relief.

Elliot grabbed her hips, holding her, moving her in a slow, steady, rhythm. "Damn," he moaned. "God, damn, Liv."

Olivia rocked her hips, moving on and off of him, her eyes meeting his as they finally opened. She smiled at him, and unconsciously bit her lip again. A low moan escaped, and she dropped down to him.

Elliot reached around the back of her neck and held her down, kissing her. "Liv," he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you," Olivia responded, biting on his lower lip, trailing kisses down over his neck.

Elliot kept up his thrusts, moving stronger and harder. "Fuck," he spat harshly. "God, baby." He felt her clenching, tightening, gripping. He felt his own release starting to rip through him, but he held it back.

"Oh, God, El," Olivia cried softly. Her hands dug into his shoulders as she kissed him, as he kissed her, as they met their intense, incredible release together. She let her teeth scrape over her lip, then pressed them together tightly as she breathed slowly through her nose, trying to stop shaking.

"Shit," Elliot whispered, still holding onto Olivia, still reeling in the tail end of his own orgasm. He looked up at Olivia and took a deep breath, trying to get her to say something.

Olivia couldn't move. She couldn't say anything, do anything, she was in the middle of having a very exhilarating flashback. She ran her hands down Elliot's chest, stopping them in the middle, and he knew.

"Feels like the first time, doesn't it?" Elliot asked, his left hand meeting hers, linking their fingers. "Only this time, you're not gonna freak out on me and lock yourself in the bathroom, are you?"

Olivia laughed. She kissed him and said, "No, but I am gonna abandon you for a second. Something about that made me very hungry."

Elliot laughed, then groaned when she pulled herself off of him. He watched with a satisfied, loving smile as she put on her robe and padded into the kitchen to fetch them a snack, and he kissed her passionately the moment she returned to the bed. Olivia smirked against his lips and dropped the bowl of cherries onto the table next to the bed. She let him move on top of her and untie her robe again; food was suddenly the last thing on her mind.

* * *

"Come on," Alex said, pacing in her living room, "Answer your damn phone." She looked at the clock and gauged the time difference. She woke up in the middle of the night to catch them before they flew home, to warn them.

"Al, honey," Trevor said from his spot on the couch, yawning, "They're probably already on the plane."

Alex held up a finger. "Elliot? Alex. Cabot! Oh, ha, ha, funny. Listen, Casey came by and...no, no one shot her! She did, however, try to plant photos of Olivia...not naked! God, will you listen to me, Stabler?"

Trevor laughed. "This is amusing," he said. "One sided, but fucking funny."

Alex shot him a look and she continued. "She had pictures of Olivia and Trevor, and she was gonna leave them in your...yeah, I told her you would never believe it, but I think she's really gone off the deep end." She hummed and nodded at something he told her. "Yeah, you have a good flight."

Trevor looked at her and yawned again. "Can we go back to bed now?" he asked, getting off the couch.

Alex nodded and headed for the bedroom. She got into the bed and cuddled up next to Trevor. As he eyes closed, she wished that their lives could somehow all go back to normal when she woke up.

* * *

"We're home!" Elliot called, walking through doors, carrying suitcases. He yawned, looking around at the slightly messy house. "At least it's still standing," he chuckled to Olivia.

The kids rushed into the living room, smiling. "Did you have fun?" Maureen asked. "Was it romantic?" Lizzie asked. "Did you bring us back anything?" Kathleen joked. "You're not, by any chance, having a baby, are you?" Dickie asked, smirking.

Elliot and Olivia froze. How the hell did they know. "Uh," Olivia breathed. "Well..."

"Oh, my God! You are!" Maureen cried, surprised.

Elliot ran a hand down his face. "Well, uh, yeah." He looked at Olivia, taking her hand, and he smiled. "Guys, Olivia's pregnant. We're having a baby."

The kids cheered and yelled and started all talking at once.

"Hold on!" Elliot yelled, laughing. "I'm thrilled that you're all excited but..."

"Come on! You have to see this," Dickie said, taking Olivia's other hand. He led them up the stairs and the kids followed behind them, nervous and excited. Dickie opened the door to what used to be Maureen's room, and he heard his parents gasp.

Kathleen chuckled. "I take it you like it?" she asked.

Olivia felt tears stinging at her eyes. "Wow," she managed on a hard breath as one rolled down her cheek.

"Guys," Elliot said, pulling Olivia toward him, "How did you do all of this?"

Maureen stepped into the room, gesturing around her. "We had help. We bought the crib and the paint, Alex and Trevor, Fin and Munch, even Captain Cragen, Dad! They all came over with other things, and we did it together."

Elliot smiled as he kissed the back of Olivia's head and, without looking, brushed away her tears. He always just knew.

"Look!" Lizzie cried, walking over to the changing table. She picked up something that was lying on the top. "We even got a diaper bag, ready and filled!"

"How did you guys know I was pregnant?" Olivia asked, sniffling.

"We didn't," Dickie said, looking at her with love and adoration. "We just wanted to do something great for you, and we knew it wouldn't take long."

Kathleen nodded. "We kinda figured it would happen on the honeymoon, though," she said.

"Liv, baby," Elliot whispered, "Have the girls show you everything, tell you what they did." He kissed her cheek and said, "I'm gonna call and thank everyone." He moved away from her after another sweet kiss, and he turned to his son. "Hey, Dickie, come here, buddy."

Dickie tilted his head, watching Olivia move around the room, getting emotional, out of the corner of his eye. He stepped closer to his dad and said, "What's up?"

"Come downstairs with me," Elliot said, draping an arm over his son's shoulders. "I gotta talk to you," he said.

Dickie shrugged. "What about?" he asked as they walked down into the living room.

Elliot sighed, not really sure how to approach the topic. "Is this...ya know...weird for you?"

"My mother and father having a baby?" Dickie asked, confused. "Why would that be weird?"

Elliot sat on the couch and took his cell phone out of his pocket, but before he called anyone, he said, "Sit, kiddo." He watched his son sit next to him and said, "I mean, is it weird, having Liv for a mother? Knowing she's having a baby? Mine?"

Dickie felt a slight flush of embarrassment. "Oh, God," he groaned. "Who told you? Maureen? I'll kill her!"

"No," Elliot chuckled. "No one told me, Dickie. I figured it out a long time ago. I was just hoping you'd outgrow it, or get over..."

"Dad," Dickie said, interrupting him. "I'm not gonna lie. It was weird and uncomfortable for the first two months. But I'm over it. Olivia Benson...Stabler...is my mother. The most amazing mother any kid could hope to have. Whatever crazy, hormonal teenager type feelings I had for her have been replaced by nothing but love. For my mother."

"Good," Elliot said, smiling at his son. "So, uh, I'll be needing that picture from last year's precinct picnic, of her in the bikini."

"Oh, you mean the one that I stole out of your sock drawer and never bothered asking why you had it, or why you were hiding it?" Dickie folded his arms and smirked. He was a Stabler, and Stabler's were great at playing games. If his father wanted to play, he'd play.

Elliot chuckled. "That's the one. And I was hiding it because if Kathy found it..."

"Found what?" Olivia asked, walking downstairs, followed by the girls.

Dickie and Elliot both sent her the same glance, but there was definitely a different kind of love in each of their eyes. "Nothing," they said together.

"Wow, you're not related at all," Olivia chuckled sarcastically.

Elliot pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her. "I have more in common with my son than you think, baby," he said, turning and giving a wink to Dickie.

Dickie laughed and turned to his sisters. "Okay, uh, pizza?"

"Oh, yeah, Dad, can we?" Maureen asked, her eyes wide.

Elliot looked at Olivia, asking her opinion. "I don't feel like cooking, we just got off of a plane," he told her.

"Pizza sounds great, actually," Olivia said. She watched as the kids run into the kitchen to find the menu, and she turned to Elliot. She kissed him and whispered, "You have that picture in your..."

"I know," Elliot said, smirking as he kissed her again. "I just wanted to see if he realized it was even gone. He hasn't, I think he's really over you. He loves his mommy, though," he said, kissing her again.

Olivia pulled away from the kiss slowly, rubbing her hands over his back. "I'm a mommy," she whispered.

Elliot nodded. "A mommy," he said, splaying a hand over her not-even-close-to-showing belly, "And a wife."

"I love you," Olivia said, smiling softly at him.

"Liv," Elliot said, smiling and leaning in for another kiss, "I love..."

His sentiment was interrupted by the sound of a very loud, very close explosion. They both ran to the front door, catching their kids as they ran into the room to see what the noise was. Elliot opened the front door, carefully, and his eyes went wide, he ushered his family back inside, and said, "Baby, call Cragen."

Olivia pulled out her phone, dialing Cragen's number, staring at the flames dancing in the store across the street.

**A/N: What? What store? Will it be a special victims case? Why? And how will Olivia and Elliot handle being on the other end of a trial with Casey, when she defends their perps? More? Clicky the button, or leave a tweet on Twitter: TMG212**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: What? What store? Will it be a special victims case? Why? And how will Olivia and Elliot handle being on the other end of a trial with Casey, when she defends their perps?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

Olivia yawned as she stood over the body, waiting for Melinda to confirm what she was thinking. "Any day now, Warner," she mumbled with a smirk.

"Oh, Benson, if you had actually gotten some sleep instead of staying up all night fucking your partner, it wouldn't matter how long this took, would it?" Melinda asked, smirking back.

Olivia chuckled, twirling her ring around her finger. "I can't help it. My partner's phenomenal in bed. Was she raped or not, Mel?"

"She was," Melinda said, nodding, rising to her feet. "And she was dead long before the blast. Whoever blew up the building was trying to cover up a rape and a homicide."

Olivia sighed and ran a hand over her stomach. "These cases make me sick," she said.

"I don't think it's the cases," Melinda laughed. "I think it could be that baby. It is, after all, almost six in the morning. Nausea is a side-effect of pregnancy."

"Funny," Olivia said, rolling her eyes. "Hey, uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, suddenly serious, pulling Melinda away from wher Elliot could hear them.

"What's up, Benson?" Melinda asked, folding her arms.

Olivia took a deep breath and looked her friend in the eyes. "Last night...Elliot and I were talking about how neither of us thought this was a mistake," she said. "But..."

"You do?" Melinda asked, surprised.

"No!" Olivia said quickly. "But I did, for a while. I was just waiting for him to realize it was. I mean technically we have never even been out on a date, and we just woke up married, and I'm having a baby..."

"Calm down," Melinda said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Why are you panicking now? You've been married for months, and you want this child, don't you?"

"More than anything," Olivia said. "But how this all happened..." she paused, shaking away the mild regret. "I had this horrible dream last night, ya know, in the hour of sleep I got, and I'm terrified it's gonna come true. I don't know how to be a mother, Mel, and I'm so scared I'm gonna end up doing this all alone."

Melinda sighed. "You really think Elliot would ever give you up?" she asked. "Olivia, you should talk about this with Elliot, honey. He's your husband"

"I heard 'husband'," Elliot said, walking over with a smile. "That must mean me."

"Until this case is closed, you're just my partner," Olivia said with a small smirk. "But yeah, we were kind of talking about you."

"She said your good in bed," Melinda said laughing.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Just good?" he asked, chuckling.

"Actually," Olivia said, raising a finger, "I said 'phenomenal'." She looked back at Melinda and said, "Any evidence you find..."

"You two will be my first call," Melinda interrupted. "Olivia," she said, looking at her friend, "You're gonna be an amazing mother."

"Thanks," Olivia said, sighing. She waved to Melinda and turned to leave.

Elliot looked at Olivia quizzically, as they walked away from the scene. "What were you two talking about?" he asked as they reached their car.

"I will tell you later," Olivia said. "We've got a job to do." She grabbed the door handle and wobbled slightly.

"Liv," Elliot said, immediately grabbing hold of her. "Are you all right?"

Olivia nodded, but leaned into him for support. "Just a little queasy."

Elliot looked around, ensuring no one that mattered was watching, to accuse them of being unprofessional, and he brushed her hair back. "Honey, why don't you stay home, huh?"

"No," Olivia said, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I just...I've never done this before, and I'd convinced myself this would never happen." She let out a laugh as she said, "I think my body thinks something is seriously wrong."

Elliot chuckled and kissed her lips. "Everything couldn't be more right," he said to her. "And Liv," he whispered, looking deeply into her eyes, "You are a fantastic mother, and you are gonna be amazing with this one. And to be honest, there were a few days there where I thought, maybe, we made a mistake. I got over it, though, because looking at you, kissing you, loving you, Liv, will never be a mistake. Never."

Olivia looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I have bionic hearing," Elliot said, winking at her. "Come on, honey. Let's go close this case, so we can come home and get some sleep." He winked at her again and she smiled. She loved that he knew her so well, and he knew how to quell her fears.

They'd spent three days on the case, two nights in the cribs, before they nailed their suspect. The interrogation was brutal, but they got the confession, Alex arraigned him, and a trial date had been set. When they came out of the interrogation room, Cragen, Munch, and Fin eyed Elliot, then began eyeing Olivia. Staring was more like it.

"What?" Olivia snapped, putting on her game face.

Fin chuckled. "I don't know if she is or not," he said. "That's just her attitude."

"If I am what or not?" Olivia asked, folding her arms.

Cragen looked at her, taking a deep breath. "We, uh, just wanted to know if you were..."

"Pregnant?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.

The men nodded.

"Yeah," Olivia said, a smile gracing her lips. "I am."

"Great," Munch said. "So during the Clausterman trial, you can use your hormonal fits of rage to throw Casey for a loop."

Elliot furrowed his brow. "Wait, what? Didn't she tell you guys she..."

"She changed her mind when Alex caught her in your bedroom," Fin said. "Novak's completely cracked, and she's the new defense attorney for Deacon Clausterman. Good luck."

"Luck?" Elliot scoffed. "She's the one who needs luck. She'll be lucky if I don't kill her," he said. "This is ridiculous! Olivia and I woke up married, couldn't remember a damned thing, and we were fucking fine! Casey is the only one who had a damn problem with it, and now she's gone completely fucking crackers because she wants to sleep with me and my wife and that will only happen if Kennedy and Elvis both knock up Marilyn Monroe on Jupiter!"

Everyone was staring at Elliot as if he was crazy. Olivia had an amused expression on her face. "El, she said. "I thought I was the one that was supposed to have moodswings."

Elliot looked at her with a scrunched up face. "Shut up," he said, teasing.

Olivia laughed and shook her head. "Love you," she chuckled.

Elliot smiled at her and mouthed, "I love you," then ran a hand down his face. "Seriously, though, can I kill her?"

Fin and Munch laughed, but Cragen looked at him sternly. "No jokes, Elliot," he said. "You need a clear head when you testify, you can't let your personal life affect the case. Just treat her the way you would treat any other lawyer."

Olivia squinted. "He does the same shit with Langan and Henshall."

"Okay," Cragen said, "Bad advice. Just...be civil, do your damned job."

Elliot looked at his captain. "Yeah," he said. "But after we win.."

"You still can't kill her," Olivia said, her hand moving over her stomach. "Excuse me," she said, running from the room. Elliot looked at his colleagues and ran after her, following her into the bathroom, where he held her hair back as she got sick. He rubbed her back, in slow comforting circles, wondering why this was happening so fast. Then he smirked. Maybe he would meet this kid sooner than he had anticipated.

* * *

Casey was wandering back and forth in front of the witness stand, smirking and spouting the venomous evil that they were used to hearing from Trevor. In the benches, Olivia couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was Casey Novak, defender and protector of the innocent. Was she really trying to set the bad guys free now?

She felt sick, and she wasn't sure if it was because of Casey, her baby, or both. Alex, the prosecutor in the case, rose and said, "The people would like to call Detective Elliot Stabler to the stand."

Olivia looked at her partner, her husband, and gave him a warning look. "Professional," she mumbled.

Elliot nodded at her, then made his way toward the stand. He cleared his throat and waited for Alex's line of questioning, and he answered every single interrogative sentence, honestly and professionally. When Casey stood up to cross-examine, he shifted in his seat.

Casey smirked and said, "Detective Stabler, is it true that upon arresting Mister Clausterman, during his interrogation you got into a physical altercation resulting in his split lip and black eye?"

"He had moved in a manner that I felt threatened my partner, and I was reacting as any good cop would." Elliot smirked back her. Her games and button pushing wouldn't get him. Not this time.

Casey, however, pressed on. "Detective Benson is more than just your partner, though," she said. "Were you protecting your partner, or your wife?"

Elliot took a deep breath. "Both," he said. "And she's pregnant, so I was..."

"What?" Casey spat, harshly and loudly.

"Counselor," Judge Mueller warned, "Is something wrong?"

"No, your honor," Casey said, shaking her head.

The judge narrowed his eyes. "Then let Detective Stabler finish his statement," he said. "Go ahead."

Casey nodded at Elliot, feeling her stomach turn.

"As I was saying," Elliot said, grinning smugly, "My wife is pregnant, so I was not only protecting my partner, I was protecting our child. Not that Olivia can't take care of herself, but I was just quicker on the trigger, if you'll forgive the expression. I got him first."

Casey looked at him, tilted her head, and said, "Pregnant, wow, um...so, what Mister Clausterman did to that woman, that wasn't why you assaulted him?"

Elliot scoffed. "I despise what he did to her, and I'm horrified that my entire family had to witness a horrific explosion that took the woman's life, but no. I acted in defense of my partner, and the little life inside of her, that it's my job as a partner, husband, and father to protect."

Casey closed her eyes. "No further questions your honor," she almost whispered. "The defense would like...a, um, a recess."

"On what grounds?" Judge Mueller asked, confused and angry.

"On the grounds that I have no case," Casey spat. She looked back at Olivia, her eyes turning down, sad, and she stormed out of the courtroom.

Judge Mueller looked down at Elliot and said, "I guess you can step down, Detective Stabler. Thank you." He banged his gavel on the stand and then added, "And congratulations. You and Detective Benson are going to be amazing parents."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Elliot said with a smile, then he walked back to the bench to meet Olivia. "Now what do you suppose got her skirt in a knot?" he asked, poking the side of cheek with his tongue and folding his arms.

Olivia chuckled as she walked out, with Elliot beside her, and said, "It could have something to do with you telling her I was pregnant. You knew she'd break down the minute the words came out of your mouth."

Elliot chuckled. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, sarcastic. "I was just answering the woman's question."

"Ya know," Olivia said, yawning, "We never got to go home and have that night of peaceful sleep. We have been up and at it with this case all week."

"Well," Elliot said, "Case closed." He turned and kissed her sweetly, absently moving his hand to her belly. "Let's go home," he whispered against her lips. He wrapped an arm around her, sighing in contentment, then he said, "We have the day off tomorrow."

"We always have Sunday off," Olivia said. "What's your point?"

Elliot shrugged and said, "You, me, and the kids. We should do something."

Olivia hit the alarm button for the car and chuckled. "Okay," she said. "We will get up ear..."

Elliot pulled her back and down to the ground just in time, the pair narrowly missing the blast. "Holy shit!" he yelled, looking her over. "Are you okay?" he asked, frantic, running her hands over her.

"I'm fine," Olivia said, doing the same to him. "Are you?"

Elliot nodded, then was shocked to see Casey Novak kneeling down beside them. "Fucking hell," she spat. "Are you two okay?" she asked, tears in her eyes. She looked at Olivia, Olivia looked back at her, and their arms wound around each other. Casey said, "I'm sorry," over and over again and the sirens in the distance grew closer. Casey knew who was behind this, and though part of her thanked him for giving her her friend back, at least for the moment, she wanted to make him pay, dearly.

**A/N: Who has been blowing things up? Were Olivia and Elliot really the target? Is a near-death experience enough to get Olivia and Elliot forgive Casey? Do you even want to know? Review here, or tweet at me on Twitter. TMG212**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Who has been blowing things up? Were Olivia and Elliot really the target? Is a near-death experience enough to get Olivia and Elliot forgive Casey?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

"Are you sure you're both all right?" Cragen asked, looking at Olivia as a father would look at an injured daughter.

"Yeah," Olivia said, one hand protectively draped over her stomach, the other clutching Elliot's. An EMT was dabbing at a cut over her eye, Elliot was watching with a bandage on his arm, and Casey was pacing back and forth behind Cragen. "We're fine," she said, swatting at the EMT's hand.

"Cap," Elliot said. "Anything, here?"

Cragen cleared his throat. "The bomb wasn't in your car," he said. "However, the blast was strong enough to blow it up."

Elliot squinted a bit. "So we weren't the..."

"No," Cragen interrupted. "Casey was."

Casey popped her head up and looked at Cragen. "What?" she asked, her heart racing. Everything she had thought she knew had suddenly been proven wrong.

Cragen turned around, a glare in his eyes. "Yeah, you. The bomb was under your car. Someone wanted you dead and outta the way, and after blowing the trial, I think I know who it was."

"No," Casey said, blinking. "He told me he wanted to get rid of Elliot, not me."

"What?" Elliot yelled, standing up.

Casey's eyes widened, then she cringed. "Shit," she spat. "I...I knew he wanted you gone, but that's why I was running after you. I was trying to stop you from getting in the car."

"You wanted to save me...why the hell didn't you just tell someone about it, Novak?" Elliot yelled crossing his arms as he took a step forward.

Casey huffed. "I thought if I just, ya know, pushed you out of the way..."

"All would be forgiven?" Olivia scoffed. "You thought wrong, Casey."

"Look," Casey said, throwing up her arms. "I told you I was sorry, I swear that I am done trying to come between you and Elliot. I just..."

Olivia hopped off the end of the ambulance, walking up next to Elliot. "You just tried to ruin our lives," she interrupted. "And you knew someone had openly threatened my partner. Even as his attorney, something like that is not privileged. You should have told...oh, my God," she gasped lightly, suddenly paling. "You wanted him to do it."

"Olivia, calm down," Casey said, moving closer.

"Stay there," Olivia said, holding up her hands. "You wanted Clausterman to try to kill Elliot! You were only there to get to me when it happened! I can not believe..."

Casey laughed. "You really have a high opinion of yourself, Olivia. You were supposed to be in the car, too. I was there to watch both of you blow..." she paused. She raised her eyes as the words left her mouth. "Damn it," she spat.

"Well, I guess you didn't mean it when you said you were sorry," Elliot scoffed, tuggin Olivia closer to him.

"Munch," Cragen said to his left, "Take Miss Novak into custody. You and Fin work on her until she tells you everything. Then find Clausterman and get him to tell you why he changed his plans at the last minute."

Munch nodded, grabbing Casey by the arm and pulling her toward his car. "Gladly," he said, sending an apologetic glance to Olivia and Elliot.

"You two," Cragen said, turning around. "You sure you're okay?"

Olivia nodded. "Just another day at work," she said.

Cragen tilted his head. He gave Olivia a light hug, and looked at her, sternly. "I want you both home, now. You're off this case."

"Obviously," Olivia said, sighing as she started walking toward the squad car that would take them home.

Elliot, once he got into the car, scooted close to Olivia and whispered, "You called me your partner," he said. "Why?"

"Uh, because you are my partner," Olivia answered, as if Elliot had asked what her name was. She gave him a questioning look.

"I meant, why didn't you say 'husband,' Liv?" Elliot asked, concerned.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "We were technically still at work," she said. "I'm not giving anyone any reason to think we can't be partners because we're married, and I'm pregnant. I didn't mean that you aren't my..."

"I know why you said it," Elliot said, wrapping his arm around Olivia. "It was just...hard to hear. I mean, it didn't take long for me to get used to you being my wife, and to have that aspect of our lives ignored for most of the day, and half the night sometimes, it kills me."

Olivia leaned her head on his shoulder. "I know it does," she said. "It hurts me, too, but I want to keep you, as both a partner and a husband, for as long as possible."

"Well, one of those things is already permanent. Forever. I'm not going anywhere, ever," Elliot said as he kissed the top of her head. "Till death do us part," he whispered with another kiss.

Olivia felt her eyes and nose burn as she whispered back, "That was almost today."

"Honey," Elliot said, closing his eyes as he squeezed her closer to him, "You heard Cragen. We would have just been injured. The bomb wasn't in our car."

"It doesn't matter," Olivia said with a sniffle, picking her head up. "Someone threatened you, Casey didn't do shit about it, and if she hadn't pissed Clausterman off more than you..."

Elliot kissed her, stopping her words. "She did," he said. "You have always told me never to think of the 'what ifs' and now I'm telling it back to you. We are here, and we are safe, and we are together. That's all that matters. That's all that's ever mattered."

Olivia nodded, kissed him, and took a breath as the car stopped in front of their place. The driver got out, coming around to open the back door, as Olivia said to her husband, "And it's all that ever will."

* * *

Elliot rolled over in the bed he shared with Olivia, wrapping his arm around her tightly. His other hand slid down her body, resting over her small bump. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world," he whispered. "The most beautiful, wonderful woman, Olivia Stabler."

Olivia turned her head and looked at him, linking her fingers with his on her belly. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I thought you were sleeping," Elliot laughed. "But, uh, I was just, I was lying here thinking how lucky I am that you're mine. And that we really are okay."

"I'm the lucky one, El," Olivia said softly. "I still can't believe Casey knew, and she actually took part in Clausterman's plan." She blinked once and moved over, closer to Elliot. "You talk to Fin?"

Elliot nodded, kissing Olivia's lips softly. "Clausterman had someone rig Casey's car. He knew that she'd find a way to blow his case, he didn't trust her, and he thought she was more worth getting rid of than I was, since I actually did my job."

"Well, thank God for that," Olivia chuckled, kissing him. "What's gonna happen now? Are they charging Casey?"

Elliot nodded again. "Obstruction, conspiracy to commit murder, withholding evidence," he listed. "And one charge of assault."

"Assault?" Olivia asked, laughing.

"She punched Fin," Elliot said, smirking. "He was actually going to hit her back, but Munch stopped him."  
"Wow," Olivia said. "When exactly did Casey go completely nuts?"

Elliot shrugged, dragging his lips over Olivia's neck. "She's always been nuts," he said. "Us coming home married, I think, was just the straw that broke her back." He kissed her neck tenderly, murmuring, "I love you."  
"I love you, too, El," Olivia said. She turned onto her side, gripping him tighter. "What would you have done, and be honest, if I did think we made a mistake in Vegas?"

"Cried," Elliot answered with a smirk. "Then thrown things, then begged you to give us a shot. Basically, exactly what I did. Only with the crying."

Olivia laughed. "I'm being serious, Stabler," she said, hitting him lightly. "We took a huge jump out there, what if we didn't want this?"

"We would have found a way to work it out," Elliot answered, honestly. "Liv, this is us we're talking about. Olivia Benson, bad ass detective, good head on her shoulders, my best friend. And me, Elliot Stabler, hot-headed arrogant idiot, who was hiding his feelings for his best friend for years. We belong together, baby," he said, pulling her close. "We would have thought about it, realized we were only taking our partnership one step further," he said.

"So, you think, if we did panic, we would have done exactly what we did anyway?" Olivia asked, smirking.

"Oh, yeah," Elliot said, smugly grinning as he kissed her. "No doubt in my mind. Why? You don't think so?"  
"Oh, I think so," Olivia said, smiling. "I just wanted to hear your side of it, so when we tell our child the story, there wouldn't be any discrepancies." She kissed him deeply and sighed as she pulled away. "Speaking of child...we need to name the baby. We can't keep calling him or her 'rookie,' no matter how cute you think it is," she laughed.

Elliot kissed her slowly, and backed off with a smile. "Why don't we wait until we know if it's a boy or a girl? That way we don't have to pick out seven hundred names we really hate, just to be safe."

Olivia chuckled. "Okay," she said. "We can wait until then. But, for the record, I think 'Elliot' is a great name."

"It is kind of amazing," Elliot said, feigning arrogance. "But I don't think the world is ready for another 'Elliot Stabler."

Olivia cuddled up to him, dropping a sweet kiss to his chest. "I think that's exactly what the world needs," she said. "There's always room for one more hero."

Elliot closed his eyes with a smile, sighing as he ran his hands over Olivia's back. "You must really love me."

"I do," Olivia said, snaking one of her legs between Elliot's, making herself comfortable as she wrapped them together.

"I love you, baby," Elliot said, whispering it in her ear as he kissed her once more, before closing his eyes, pulling her closer, and falling asleep.

* * *

"You sure you didn't jump the gun with Casey because Olivia's your niece?" Alex asked, looking at Cragen.

Cragen shook his head. "That was only a small part of it," he said. "The fact that she knew my detectives, one of whom is pregnant, were in danger, was a willing participant in it all, and then tried to deny it, that all made me decide to haul her ass in and work her over." He ran a hand down his face and asked, "You gonna be okay, handling the case?"

"You mean can I prosecute someone who was once a colleague and a friend?" Alex asked. She nodded. "Absolutely," she said. "She has tried to hurt my best friend numerous times, and she's gonna get what she deserves." She rose out of Elliot's desk, where she'd been sitting, and grabbed her briefcase. "We're pushing for an immediate trial, Cragen. You make sure everyone does their job on this end. I'll be in a meeting with Donnelly and McCoy, making sure Casey Novak loses the only thing she has left."

"What?" Cragen asked.

Alex smirked. "Her license," she said. She turned on her heels and walked out, feeling fire running through her veins. She was pissed off, and a pissed off Alex Cabot was one no one wanted to mess with.

**A/N: Two chapters left! Who else needs to 'wake up' and what will Casey's trial be like? Are Olivia and Elliot having a boy or a girl? And something happens, involving one of the kids. But what? Review to let me know you want it, here or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Are Olivia and Elliot having a boy or a girl? And something happens, involving one of the kids. But what? Getting a name of course! ALSO - A reviewer believes that I stole the baby's nickname from someone else, and I assure you, I DID NOT! It irks me that someone would even suggest that. So, to MariposaAngel18, I swear I did not take the nickname from you. Since young cops are called 'Rookies' I thought it would be cute. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

"I can't decide," Maureen said, holding two pairs of boots in her hands.

"Get them both," Olivia said with a shrug.

Maureen looked at her, quizzically. "Really?" she asked.

"Why not?" Olivia questioned with a smirk. "I've got four pairs of my own over here," she chuckled. "A girl can never have enough shoes."

"Thanks," Maureen said, smiling. She looked at Olivia, handed her the two shoeboxes, and said, "Mom."

Olivia brushed the teen's hair back and said, "No problem, sweetie." They paid for their shoes and walked out of the shop, bags in their hands. Olivia felt a drop of water fall on her hand, and she looked up. "Oh, no," she said. "Really?"

More drops fell, faster, and in a flash, she and Maureen were caught in a horrible downpour.

"Oh, yuck!" Maureen cried.

"Run!" Olivia yelled. "Go!" She pulled Maureen, running fast, into and under the nearest bus stop. She looked at her stepdaughter, and smiled, then she scoffed, and then the two were laughing hysterically.

"Ew, ew, ew," Lizzie cried, running under the small shelter. "It wasn't supposed to rain today!"

Dickie and Kathleen ran in, shaking off the water from their heads. "No," the young boy said, "It wasn't."

"Where's your father?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow. She felt someone grab her hand, then she was pulled out from underneath the stop and back into the pouring rain. "Ah! What the hell?" she asked, glaring at her husband, trying to be heard over the thunder.

Elliot laughed and pulled her close, not caring they were both being soaked to the bone. "You told me once, that your idea of the most romantic thing humanly possible, was the man you love kissing you in the rain."

Olivia looked at him with a furrowed brow, her wet hair falling into her eyes. "Yeah, but this is not what I had in…"

Elliot surprised her, and shut her up, by kissing her. He held her tight, and close, one hand looped around her back and the other getting the soaked hair off of her face, brushing it back. They were unaware of the passersby stopping to look at them, the tourists who took pictures, the kids watching on in awe from the safety of the bus stop. All they were aware of was the kiss, each other, and the rain falling around them.

Elliot pulled away slowly, kissed her softly again, and asked, "You thought it would be something like that, right?"

Olivia looked into his eyes, saw them sparkling, shining, and she said, "Something like that, yeah."

Elliot pulled her back to him, swaying with her body wrapped in his arms, and he gave her another passionate, mind-melting kiss.

"I don't think we're getting on the next bus, guys," Maureen said, shaking her head.

The rest of the kids laughed, drying off, as they watched their father and Olivia getting wetter by the second.

* * *

Home, fed, and dried, the kids sat at the coffee table in the living room, playing poker, a game their father had so proudly taught them. They were betting pretzels and potato chips as Elliot and Olivia watched them from the kitchen doorway. "We have a pretty amazing family," Elliot whispered to Olivia, snaking his arms around her.

"Yeah," Olivia said, nodding and smiling. "We do."

"Getting bigger," Elliot said, caressing her belly. "Our family, not you. Well, you are but…"

"I know what you meant," Olivia said with a laugh. She took a breath and turned in his arms. "Alex called," she said.

"Oh, boy," Elliot said. "That trial was hell, Liv. I'm amazed they even made you testify in your condition." He kissed her forehead and said, "What did she say?"

Olivia looked down, focusing on a spot on his shirt, and said, "Casey took a deal. She testified against Clausterman, she got a year. She'll probably only serve a few months…"

"It's enough," Elliot said. "Maybe it'll wake her up, honey. Show her that she's destroyed her life because she was selfish, and it'll show her that she had everything she could have possibly wanted with Fin, and she let her attitude and jealousy get in the way. She lost it all."

Olivia nodded. "They took away her license," she said. "Even when she gets out, she'll never try another case."

"Serves her right," Elliot said. "Babe, don't tell me you feel sorry for her."

Olivia shook her head. "I just never thought she'd be capable of…" Olivia paused, held her hand to her stomach, let out a small burp, and said, "Ow."

Elliot laughed and kissed her. "Indigestion," he said. "One of the many joys of pregnancy."

"Yeah," Olivia scoffed. "Swollen ankles, weird cravings, an incredible sexual appetite, a monster attitude, and everyone and their mother putting their hands on my stomach. I'm having so much fun."

"Well, the sexual appetite part is fun," Elliot whispered with narrow eyes, kissing her neck. "A lot of fun," he growled, nibbling.

"Not, God, now…El, kids…in the other room…" Olivia said between kisses. She couldn't resist him, even before the baby.

Elliot pulled away from her and said, "You had to remind me." He chuckled, kissed her again, and took a breath. "We can name him Elliot," he said.

Olivia's eyes lit up as she asked, "Really?"

Elliot nodded. "I'm praying it's a girl so that won't happen, but if it's that important to you, yes." He kissed her forehead and said, "I can live with a little Eli running around."

"You already gave him a nickname," Olivia said with a smirk.

"I gave him two," Elliot said. "I'm still calling him 'Rookie."

Olivia pulled away from him with a smirk, and as she walked toward the fridge, she asked, "What if it's a girl?"

"Olivia," Elliot said.

"What?" Olivia asked.

Elliot chuckled. "No, if it's a girl I wanna name her Olivia. Or Bella because…"

"That's what you called me," Olivia said, turning to him. "In Vegas."

Elliot nodded. "I meant it, baby, every time I said it. Even though we were just playing characters, I meant everything I said to you during that case, Liv."

"I know you did," Olivia said. She took a slip of paper off of the fridge and handed it to Elliot. "We're gonna have to wait for little Bella, baby."

Elliot furrowed his brow. "Why, you got a name?"

"Yeah," Olivia said, nodding. She handed him the piece of paper and said, "Elliot."

"What?" Elliot asked.

Olivia kissed him gently and whispered, "His name is Elliot."

Elliot looked down at the paper. Written in Olivia's beautiful script were the words, "It's a boy!" He looked up at her, wide-eyed. "The doctor said he couldn't tell, that we had to wait!"

Olivia chuckled. "He looked back at the images, and I guess in one or two frames he moved the right way, and…"

"We're having a boy," Elliot whispered, interrupting. A tear fell from his left eye, and he stared at Olivia. "You're having a boy. We're…a son…our son."

Olivia nodded as her forehead pressed against his. "Yeah," she whispered.

"Ya know," Elliot sniffled. "I went to sleep single, with the woman of my dreams in my arms, and I woke up married, and we're having a baby…Liv, this is…unreal. Amazing."

Olivia kissed him, cupping his face gently. "Ya know what they say, El. That's what you get for waking up in Vegas."

Elliot laughed, kissing her. "Smart ass," he mumbled against her lips.

"Dad!" Dickie yelled. "Phone call!"

Elliot furrowed his brow. "I didn't even hear it ring," he said.

"We were a bit distracted," Olivia said, smirking.

Elliot wrapped his arm around her waist and walked into the living room, taking the phone out of his son's hand. "Stabler," he said, tilting his head. "Kathy? What are...you are? Uh, wow! Congratulations. You want…I have to talk to Liv, but…okay, yeah, I'll call you back. Bye."

"I'm guessing that was Kathy," Olivia said.

Elliot nodded. "She's having a baby," he said. "She said she and Steve want us to be…Godparents."

**A/N: One more chapter! How is this story gonna end? Wanna know? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: The last chapter. An epilogue of sorts. How is this story gonna end?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf, genius, owns SVU and its characters. TStabler©, fan of genius, owns this story, the narrative, the dialogue, and everything but the characters.**

Olivia, exhausted and weaker than she'd ever been in her life, felt someone brushing her hair back, kissing her forehead and eyelids. She fluttered her eyes open, and when Elliot came into view, she smiled. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," Elliot whispered back with a warm, loving, smile.

"Where is he?" Olivia asked, her throat dry. "God, he's loud!" she laughed.

Elliot held a glass of water to her, and she sipped through a straw as he said, "They're cleaning him up. He's so beautiful, baby." He sniffed, looking into her eyes.

The nurse came over with a little bundle in a blue blanket, and said, "Here is your son, Mister and Misses Stabler." She placed the boy gently into Olivia's tired arms, and her eyes welled with tears just like Elliot's had done. "Congratulations," the nurse said, smiling down at them.

Elliot had one arms wrapped around Olivia and the other digging through the blue blanket. "Look at him," he whispered, silent happy tears running down his face. He and Olivia both examined every inch of the tiny boy, and laughed when he squirmed and swatted at their hands. "Ten little fingers, and ten little toes," Elliot said, kissing Olivia. "He's perfect."

Olivia gasped when he opened his little eyes, squinting at the bright lights. His little lips quivered and the wailing sound of a newborn baby filled the room once more. "Oh, my sweet boy," Olivia said, brushing a finger over his head and down his tiny cheek. "You had a rough day. It's okay to cry," she whispered, crying herself. She sniffled and chuckled at the same time, and said, "El, he has your eyes."

"He's a Stabler," Elliot said proudly. "Ya know, that means blue eyes have to run in your family. Maybe your father had blue eyes," he said. He kissed her again, then traced the outline of his still-crying son's face. "We made one beautiful boy, baby," he said, a whisper, pulling both of them closer.

"Oh, we certainly did." Olivia moved slightly in her bed, then shifted the position of the baby. Now more comfortable, safely wrapped in his parents' arms, he quieted. His little eyes blinked and his tiny mouth formed a surprised "o" as he let out a tiny yawn. "Hi, Eli," Olivia whispered. "I'm your mommy."

"Elliot James Stabler," Elliot said, beaming down at his new son. "Our little Rookie." He rested his head against Olivia's, and the pair watched in amazement as their son fell asleep in their intertwined arms.

They held him for a few more minutes, enjoying just watching him, loving that he was really here, then they reluctantly gave him back to the nurse so he could be thoroughly checked out and fed. "How are you feeling, Mommy?" Elliot whispered to his wife.

Olivia looked up at him, with tired but happy eyes, and said, "Just fine, Daddy," she whispered back. "I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. And also the most exhausted. Being up for seventy-two hours on a case? Easy, compared to this," she said as she softly chuckled.

"Well, honey, you just gave birth," Elliot laughed. "Every muscle in your body just worked for ten straight hours, and was pushed to its absolute limit." He kissed her, slowly, lovingly. He pulled away and nuzzled her nose. "Rest," he whispered. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Olivia asked, her eyes already closed.

"To tell everyone he's here, and he's perfect," Elliot said. He brushed her still damp hair back and kissed her forehead, then walked out of her room. He couldn't wipe the wide smile off of his face as he walked down the fluorescent light littered corridor, a clear swagger in his step as he walked. The minute he stepped into the waiting room he was met with his four older children, his very pregnant ex-wife and her new husband, his captain, his colleagues, and his brothers and sister. He looked at all of them and felt new tears forming. He choked them back and nodded. "Boy," was the only word he could say.

Cheers, almost as loud as thunder, erupted from the room. "What's his name?" Kathy asked, rubbing her own baby bump.

"Elliot," Elliot answered with a scoff and a shrug. "Can you believe it? Elliot James Stabler," he said with a sniffle. He rubbed a hand down his face, trying to keep from crying too hard.

"How much does he weigh?" Alex asked, her arms tightly wrapped around Trevor.

Elliot smirked. "Nine pounds, four ounces," he said. "He's a big boy. A big, beautiful, healthy baby boy," he told them, his chuckles finally turning into happy sobs. "He's so beautiful," he cried, falling into his mother's open arms.

Everyone, it seemed at once, huddled around him to hug him, to share in his joy. "How's Mom?" Kathleen asked, knowing her actual mother, standing behind her, was cringing.

"Liv's perfect," Elliot sniffled. "She's half asleep. God love her, she was in there, and the whole time she was just as tough as she is at work. She didn't stop till she got the job done," he laughed.

"She wouldn't be Benson if she didn't," Munch said, slapping Elliot's shoulder.

"Munch," Elliot said, rolling his eyes, "It's Stabler."

Munch raised an eyebrow, peering over his glasses. "I know who you are," he said.

The large group shared a laugh, then Fin, his hand linked with Melinda's, said, "Hey, Munch, man, you owe me a hundred bucks."

"What?" Munch asked, turning around. "Why?"

Fin smirked. "Back in Vegas," he said, "I bet you a hundred bucks that the case would end with Benson making Stabler cry. Technically, this all happened as a result of the op, right? He's crying and it's her fault."

More laughs, and a few annoyed groans, were shared. "Hey," Elliot said. "How much have you all won by betting on me and Liv?" he asked, gesturing between Fin and Munch.

"Well," Fin said, "I won eighty because I had the date right in the birthday pool. Thanks for scaring her into labor a week early, man," he laughed.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "He's actually a week late, thanks for paying attention."

Munch raised a hand. "I am proud to say I won almost three hundred off the two of you. I won the bet about you getting together in the first place, and that you'd get married fast."

Cragen, off to the side and grinning madly, said, "And I won five hundred. I told everyone that it would be a boy, what you'd name him, and I, uh, joined in the bet that you'd come back from Vegas married."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Cap," he said, "I'm not even gonna comment on that."

The group chuckled, and then Dickie, the proud big brother who was thankful that he was no longer the only boy, said, "Can we see Mom and the baby?"

His question was followed by a few dozen, "Yeah, can we?"s and "When can we see them?"s.

Elliot held up his hands and laughed. "Guys! Guys, hold on, calm down," he said. "I can only take immediate family in the room, so that's you guys," he said, pointing to his smiling kids. "My mom, and you." He pointed to Cragen. "You're her uncle, and the closest thing to a father she has." He caught his captain's eyes, then glanced idly at his mother before saying, "That we both have." He and Cragen shared a look and a moment, then the kids, his mother, and Cragen followed him into the hallway toward Olivia's room.

Watching them go, Munch turned to the rest of the group and said, "Ya know, only Benson and Stabler could pull this off."

"Pull what off?" Melinda asked, twirling the diamond ring Fin had given her the night before around her finger. She would wait to share her news, though, as she didn't want to steal Olivia, Elliot, and Eli's thunder.

Munch sat in one of the seats, then sat with his elbows on his knees, readying to explain one of his theories. "They fought off their feelings for years, choosing to be with people who they didn't really love the way they loved each other. No offense Kathy," he said, glancing toward the pregnant blonde.

"None taken," Kathy said, smirking.

"Then, one night, in the middle of a rehearsed and planned argument during an undercover gig, Stabler says the one thing he knew would set Benson off," Munch explained. "That led to Olivia storming off to the bar, and Elliot following her, of course," he said. "Elliot took the time to explain his feelings about his failed marriage and about Olivia, but kept buying drinks, getting thoroughly plastered before making a real move."

Fin narrowed his eyes. "You got a point, you scrawny ass, mother..."

"I do," Munch said, interrupting the insult. "So they get shitfaced, yet both are able to walk down the strip and navigate a city to which they've never been. They found their way into a casino, a jewelry store, and a chapel, where they signed a license and a marriage certificate in perfectly even handwriting." He paused for a moment. "I don't know about you all, but if I have two strong drinks, I can't read shit, let alone sign anything legibly. They were knocking 'em back hard, and did it."

Trevor scoffed. "You are not telling us what I think you're telling us," he said with an eye-roll.

Munch smirked and held up a finger. "They woke up the next morning, saw the rings on their fingers, and panicked of course, but only for a moment. They've told us about that conversation, and it seems a bit fishy that they both decided to stay together without having a real, long discussion about it. Olivia Benson, who runs away before a third date, agrees to stay married? Red flag, anyone? So they come home married, and the first thing they do, instead of telling us, is move in together and buy new furniture. First thing I would do if I woke up married in Vegas is find a lawyer and arrange for a post-nuptial agreement."

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Munch, are you now, or have you ever been, on acid?"

Munch rolled his eyes. "Can I finish, please?" he asked, annoyed. "So they keep it a secret, but the whole time, they're planning a real wedding and making a happy home for Stabler's kids, together. Barely a year later, they're here, with a new baby boy, who we all know was a planned baby. He wasn't a surprise, or an accident. Hell, we put the damn nursery together ourselves because the kids 'had a feeling' Olivia would come home knocked up." He sat back in his seat, looked around, and sighed. "Wake up, people!" he shouted. "We've been played like acoustic guitars!"

Melinda thought about it for a moment. "Olivia was eating an awful lot of chicken and spinach when she came back from Vegas. Standard pre-natal diet," she informed her friends.

"No," Alex said. "I refuse to believe that this was all planned. I'm not going to sit here and entertain Munch's stupid conspiracy theory. Why would they have pretended to get drunk and..."

"Because they knew Cragen was watching them," Munch said. "They eloped, guys. They were afraid to admit to us that they gave in. And were afraid to admit to each other that it was the right time, so they both..."

"Munch," Elliot said, leaning up against the wall in his scrubs with his arms folded. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say, and I've listened to your radioactive pineapple theory." He chuckled and said, "Liv and I did not plan any of this. Were we trying to have a baby? Yes. But Eli came along a lot sooner than we thought he would. He was a complete surprise. If you paid closer attention, which as a detective you should, you would have noticed that Olivia and I have both ordered the same lunch from the same place every Thursday. Chicken florentine, and I was certainly not trying to get pregnant. Besides, the only meat she'll eat, anywhere, is chicken. Unless I cook it, because she doesn't trust meat or fish in the city." He took a step forward and smirked at the conspiracy theorist. "And why, for the love of all that is good and Holy, would I not only get plastered on purpose in front of my boss, while on duty, but willingly sexually assault my partner in front of him? That's like asking to get fired, which I'm fucking surprised as shit we didn't."

Munch looked up at Elliot, sighed in defeat, and said, "Yeah. What was I thinking?"

"You were just being you, Munch," Elliot said. He slapped his friend on the shoulder, then turned. He walked back toward his wife's room, toward his newborn son, with a wicked smirk on his face. He knew that he had planned it all, but it went so much better than he could have imagined. Olivia wasn't in on it, but she hadn't fought him on any of it. The rest of the world didn't need to be let in on that secret. He pushed the door to her room open, then walked over to her, sat on the bed beside her, and kissed her as he let one hand linger on his new son's tiny tummy. They shared a long look as he pulled away from Olivia. The bright, shining love in her eyes, the gleam he saw every moment of every day since he woke up with her in Vegas, was brighter than it had ever been.

"This feels like a dream," Olivia whispered to him as her family looked on. "A wonderful, beautiful dream."

Elliot kissed her again and said, "Olivia Stabler, you and I are both wide awake." He rested her head against hers again and looked down at their sleeping baby. "This is what we got for waking up in Vegas," he said to her.

"A happy ending," Olivia said back to him.

Elliot chuckled. "Oh, no, baby," he said with a smile. "This is only the beginning."

**A/N: Well, if that's what you get for waking up in Vegas, then who wants to be on the next flight out with me? =D Hope you've all enjoyed the story, and I'm sad to see it end but I have new ideas laying dormant in my head and it's time to let them "wake up." Final reviews are welcome. Here or on Twitter: TMG212**


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